Salem Witch Trial Essay

Throughout the winter of 1692, the small village of Salem, Massachusetts, was unaware of the upcoming events. Paranoia and fear fueled the wave of witch hysteria that swept through the quiet Salem village. An execution of the hanging of fourteen women and five men that were accused of being a witch was a result of the Salem witch trials. In addition, “one man was pressed to death by heavy weights for refusing to enter a plea; at least eight people died in prison, including one infant and one child; and more than one hundred and fifty individuals were jailed while awaiting trial” (Latner). The Salem witchcraft trials was caused by a number of religious factors. Among these factors are the influence of the strict Puritan lifestyle, the belief

Puritan laws were stern, and the members of society were expected to follow a strict moral code. Therefore, anything that was believed to go against the moral code was considered a sin and deserved to be punished. The Puritans also greatly believed in the wrath of God and did everything they could to prevent themselves from receiving God’s anger. The witch scare was taken so seriously and the accused were severely punished due to Puritan beliefs. The first women to be accused as witches were those who strayed away from the Puritan lifestyle, or “those who had an inexplicable illness and misfortune in personal terms” (Godbeer). For example, Sara Osburn was the first accused woman who had been scandalized by the community for having premarital sexual relations and attended church irregularly. The members of the community felt that it was their responsibility to free the community of sinners, because sinners were believed to be working for the Devil. “The Puritans believed that the Devil was as real as God, and that those members of the society who were the weakest at maintaining Puritan values and morals, would be selected to carry out the Devils work” (Godbeer). Sara Osburn failed to uphold the community values and was therefore targeted by the Devil and

The ordeal of the Devil commenced in the home of Salem’s Reverend Samuel Parris. Parris had a “slave from the Caribbean named Tituba, and several of the town’s teenage girls began to gather in the kitchen with Tituba in 1692” (Porterfield). The girls were believed to have danced a black magic dance in the nearby woods, and in trials the girls would fall on the ground and start screaming hysterically. Soon this behavior began to spread across Salem. To become bewitched, the Puritans believed a witch must draw an individual under a spell. The girls could not have possibly brought this condition onto themselves, and they were questioned and forced to name their tormentors. The girls named three townspeople, including Tituba, as witches. In trials, the accused would be asked to recite the Lord’s Prayer in order to prove if they are under the control of the Devil or not. Also, “individuals who had birthmarks, warts, moles, or other blemishes were seen as possible portals through which Satan could enter the body” (Latner). The Puritans believed Satan could not take the form of a person that is unwilling. Therefore, if anyone saw a ghost or spirit in the form of the accused, the person must be a witch. It is believed by the Puritans, “that the Devil only had a short amount of time left in which to turn people against God, and due to the various difficulties in the community,