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Salem Witch Dbq

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During the summer of 1692 in Salem Massachusetts 13 women and 7 men were killed by either hanging or rotting in jail. These killings all happened within 3 months of each other. So what caused this mass hysteria? This was the Salem Witch trials. The people of Salem believed that the devil had sent witches to Salem to attempt to stop God's work. Witchcraft was a crime that was punishable by death. Many believed that there were truly evil forces at work other believed it was caused by jealousy or mania. The purpose of this essay is to explain what caused the Salem Witch trials. The leaders in Salem at the time were Puritans. “Puritans were Protestant Christians who were unhappy with the church in England. They came to New England to practice Christianity in a new way.” (Background Essay) Puritans believed in predestination, this means that God had already determined who is going to heaven and who is going to hell. They believed if they worked hard enough and did enough good they would be able to go to heaven. Puritans were scrupulous and …show more content…

Each side was controlled by either the Putnam or Porter family. The Porters lived on Salem eastern side and enjoyed many of its spoils. The land was rich,fertile and close to the port. The Porters were well connected with the merchants and enjoyed political prestige. (Doc J) Meanwhile, the Putnmas live in the less fertile western side, and have lost the political status they once had. (Doc J) Soon, the west side was accusing wealthy east side women of practicing witchcraft. (Doc I) On June 1st 1692, Ann Putnam Jr. ( Thomas Putnam's daughter) accused a wealthy east side woman named Rebecca Nurse of affecting her and possessing her. There had been drama between the Nurse family and the Putnams, “… for years had been harassing the Putnam family by claiming that parts of their land laid on the topsoil rather than in Salem Village. (ask how to end

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