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Mass Hysteri The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692

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The Salem witch trials of 1692 represent a dark period in early American history, marked by fear,paranoia, and a breakdown of community trust.This mass hysteria in Massachusetts led to accusations, trials, and execution of many people on the grounds of witchcraft, a crime associated with connecting with the devil. The paranoia that gripped Salemn can be traced back to several factors. The Puritan belief system, which took over this Puritan Colony, was very strict and suspicious of any kind of deviations out of the normal. They murdered many people, accusing them of witchcraft or decisions they didn't agree with.The Puritans believed that any child that played with dolls or had toys was a witch and used the doll as a puppet from the devil. Additionally,
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In 1692, as the puritans of Salem Massachusetts over-turn on each other, they started scapegoating many of their villagers with witchcraft. During this time many were murdered unfairly. The Salem Witch Trials was a reformation of the government. People believed that this was an era where the devil gave certain humans powers to harm others in joining them into their beliefs. It was certain to happen, because many had personal envy which caused many of the accusations,trials, and the implementations.

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Puritans were Christians who wanted to "purify" English churches. Being extremely religious people, the Puritans seen witches to be an "enemy of god and a danger to Christians", according to the book. Obviously, in England, which ruled over Massachusetts, witchcraft was illegal. Unfortunately, it was difficult to actually prove people were legitimately witches; which is why so many people were accused and sentenced to death with little factual evidence.

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Mass Hysteria: The Salem Witch Trials In 1692 a series of trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts that stripped many innocents of their identity and left many more slaughtered. It all began in January when two young girls began suffering from a series of seizures and other illnesses that seemed to have no cure. Feeling pressured to explain, they named off three innocent women for the use of witchcraft against them. Thus began the Salem Witch Trials.

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Between the month of June 10 and September 22, 1692, the Salem witch trial which took place in Salem Massachusetts, claimed 20 residents life’s from Salem. This event shook the American History and left historians with one question decades after, what caused the Salem witch trial hysteria of 1692? In a Christian community this must have seemed strange, but superstition causing religious role to intervene and also social/economic class fueled the witch hunt. The Salem witch trial of 1692 all started when two young girls (Betty Parris and Abigail Williams) in Salem village Massachusetts claimed to have been possessed by the devil, accusing three women who had possessed them. As this hysteria continued, a special court was built just to hear

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The Salem Witch Trials were a series of events that occurred within the 1690's. The numerous allegations lead to hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts. The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people, most of them women. Additionally, the accusations lead to community wide hysteria and blood thirst for the death of nearly all the accused witches.

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Brynn Markham Markham Mrs. Lumbrerez English 4 16 April 2024 The Salem Witch Trials A tragic event in American history that famously ruined families and lives of innocent people. The Salem witch trials were gruesome, biased and caused by mass hysteria in old Salem Massachusetts, resulting in innocent people being arrested and executed. The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts in early 1692. This tragic sequence of events was triggered by a couple young girls claiming they were being afflicted by dark magic conjured by some of their neighbors.

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Salem Witch Trials Mass hysteria, social ignorance, and religious intolerance all describe the chaos that took place in Massachusetts during the year 1692. The Salem Witch Trials were not a positive section of American history but have been used as a learning tool for the United States. According to Plouffe, Jr., the trials were the largest of suspected criminals in the colonial period of American history. More than one hundred and fifty people were arrested on charges of witchcraft, and nineteen of these individuals were convicted and hanged (Plouffe, Jr. n. pag.). Many factors play into the long process of the Salem Witch Trials and have had a lasting impact on American history.

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The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were caused by a combination economic strain, resentment towards those of Salem Town, the Puritans strong belief in witches and the devil, and the confirmation of those accused for witchcraft. Economic strain was prevalent in the later half of the seventeenth century, with the average family farm size drastically decreasing. To add to this economic stress, the people of Salem Village were forced to pay taxes that went directly to Salem Town. This led the people of Salem Village to somewhat desire revenge on those of Salem Town. While this was occuring, people were begining to think that Satan was acting there Massachusetts colony.

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The Salem Witch Trials accusing others of a feared crime showed definite evidence that mass hysteria was to blame. Salem was a religious settlement, following Puritan beliefs (Miller, 6). A large fear for everyone in Salem was the touch of the Devil (Miller, Arthur). According to Puritan beliefs, if a man or woman was touched by the Devil he would convince them to do witchcraft. Once word was mentioned the Devil had possibly touched Salem, the fear spread.

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The lives of the un-expected people of Salem, Massachusetts soon turned into a living nightmare. The hunt for people practicing the devil's work began. The Salem witch trials first started in February of 1692, this unfortunate event led to many deaths, Nearly 150 women, children, and men were punished for behaving in an unnatural way and 19 people were executed. The Salem Witch Trials were a very dangerous time for people, if someone was accused of being a witch they could be burned alive, drowned, pressed between heavy boulders, stabbed, shot, and hanged. Historians believe that the women who were being targeted had all been on the same page, somehow they were connected mentally and spiritually.

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The year of 1692 identified a significant event in history in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials revealed series of prosecutions of people being accused of witchcraft, which resulted in the executions of twenty innocent people. Out of the twenty people, fourteen of them were women were hung to death and the others died in prison. It all began with several girls that experimented with magic, which the Puritans believed they were collaborating with the Devil. Based on the Puritan beliefs, the meaning of witchcraft was the Devil’s magic.

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