Salem Witch Trial Essay

In 1692, the Salem Witch Trials occurred in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Before the trials, witch hunting occurred longer in European countries; England, Germany, Italy, and France for over 300 years. Witch hunting was a common activity after Pope Innocent VIII declared that witchcraft was against Christianity in 1484. Many Christians would purge the suspected people of witchcraft with torture methods such as hanging, being pressed to death, etc . Two centuries later, King Charles I developed a new religion called the Puritanism that is made up of pure christians that devote and base their lives on the word of God. If not followed correctly, they are risking their soul being sent to hell, and because of constant concern that they may not please

These women were easily accused because of their social status in the town. If, for some reason, they were to be accused then no one would defend them; it would be seen as a given that they would be witches. During the trial, Tituba, the slave that was accused, admitted of being a witch and that there are more witches that are still in town that have not been discovered. After admitting to witchcraft and confessing that there are more witches, the town was scared and the girls were able to accuse over 100 men and women of witchcraft. The Salem Witch trials are one of the most unforgettable events of American history. The event provides Americans with a lesson that they should separate church and state because they can make blind accusations that can cause harm towards the citizens. If there was separation between church and state, then the deaths of the 19 accused witches would not have occurred if the people and the government were more open in investigation that could help the citizens; rather than execute

For example, they were screaming, throwing things, and put their bodies in different positions . The two girls went to the doctor and the doctor proclaimed that the cause of these actions was supernatural activity. The girls accused three women: Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, claiming that they casted spells on them to cause them to act abnormally. The two girls were related to Reverend Parris who was the Puritan minister in Salem who was well known in the town. Furthermore, the accounts of the children would be taken more seriously than the women that were accused like Sarah Good (the town beggar), Sarah Osborne ( an impoverished woman), and Tituba (Reverend Parris’s slave). Elizabeth and Abigail are considered more credible than adults due to their social status, but many people today would question whether or not they were credible sources psychologically. At the age of 9 and 11, the girls are considered to be in the middle childhood stage of development. During this time of development, they are experiencing more peer pressure and are seeking the acceptance of others . Research has shown that children that have difficulty being accepted by others are more creative than other children. Due to this behavior, these young girls may have been crying for attention, and because they are related to Reverend Parris, it is easier for them to be taken