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Salem Witch Trial Essay

482 Words2 Pages

Cotton Mather accounts the witch trial of Martha Carrier through reporting the accusations and crimes prosecuted against her. This trial was unjust because prosecution occurred to explain unnatural events by using unfounded, spectral evidence. All unnatural events affected the witnesses negatively in matters of health or occupation. This led the people of Salem to create a scapegoat for their misfortune and other ‘witches’ to persecute those near to them in the fear of death. The claims of the witnesses in Martha Carrier’s trial were all based on misfortunes that affected them negatively. This is evident through Martha’s crimes only being those that made witnesses ill or affected cattle, “[H]is wife, testified her husband was not only afflicted in his body, but also that …show more content…

Witnesses do not have actual proof of Carrier practicing witchcraft because those events do not affect them. Seeing Carrier worship the devil did not matter to the people of Salem. They only persecute her of problems that relate to them. When no natural answer to events could be found, they made a scapegoat to solve their problems. Their scapegoat could be made quite easily due to spectral evidence. Spectral evidence enabled the victims to choose who they wanted to blame the event on which is why it is not reliable. Allin Toothaker could not explain why when fighting Richard Carrier, he fell to the ground so he uses spectral evidence to do so, “[He] fell down on his back to the ground and had not power to stir hand or foot…and then he saw the shape of Martha Carrier go off his breast” (126). Holding trial for a witch would lead to a removal of that witch from their community and a ‘answer’ to the people of Salem’s problems. Once the witch was

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There were various amounts of evidence that would be used to identify a witch before convicting them. It was more common to capture malign witches because of their actions. Some of the evidence that were recognized the most were the used in witchcraft. The witches tortured people by using dolls that resembled them in a way. The author states, “When the witch stokes the doll of stick pins in it, the person bewitched is supposed to undergo excruciating pains in the part of the body…

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This goes to show how easily it was back then to get someone to be arrested and put to death. One could just accuse someone they dislike of being a witch, and people would then join in to also due to the hysteria. In her trial, all of the evidence is based on eyewitnesses, such as Allen Toothaker, an eyewitness himself. After one of Carrier’s children attacked him, Toothaker had enough and “... was going to strike at Richard Carrier but fell down flat on his back to the ground, and had not power to stir hand or foot, until he told Carrier he yielded; and then he saw the shape of Martha Carrier go off his breast”. Not only is this evidence highly unlikely to be true due to the lack of scientific evidence of witches back then, but there were no other people to back up his claim, thus meaning Toothaker could have made the whole thing up just to make Carrier look more guilty than she already did.

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The results of the trial in Stamford was that Mercy Disborough was temporarily convicted of witchcraft while Goody Clawson was acquitted. The consequences for Mercy Disborough were that despite months and jail and continued peer accusation, she was acquitted. The consequences for the townspeople are blurrier, but it is evident that persistent hysteria was not one of them. The results of the trial in Stamford were largely reigned in from the massive hysteria and mass convictions associated with contemporary witch trials by the law.

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Spectral evidence mainly relies upon dreams and visons as sources of proof. The letter, however, did very little to prevent the increasing number of executions. Mather had difficulties recruiting help from the governor of the colony, Sir William Phipps, since he was occupied in Maine battling native Americans. As the of 1992 summer went by, the witch trials would only escalate in their lethality. After the execution of five women on the 19th of July, Mather gave a sermon at Simon Willard's Third Church in Boston, where he further condemned the witch hunt.

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In Defense of Rebecca Nurse     Your Majesties, Judge Corwin and Judge Hathorne, our defendant Rebecca Nurse, a highly respected member of the Salem community, has been wrongly accused of practicing witchcraft. We believe that these profound accusations against, the honest and trustworthy, Rebecca Nurse were fabricated by those who are trying to cause harm to the Nurse family. This accusation of practicing witchcraft is serious and is not to be taken lightly.   A warrant for the arrest of Rebecca Nurse was issued on March 24, 1692 (Salem Witch Trials Notable Persons). This warrant was issued due to the Putnams accusation that our defendant practices witchcraft.

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During the trials, even some active accusers and the magistrate were doubtful of her accusations because of her respectable reputation (Linder). Moreover, Rebecca was innocent because she never confessed to her accusation and responded, “I am innocent and God will clear my innocency” (Ray). Also, the first jury’s verdict on her of “Not Guilty” and the probation granted by Governor Phips that proved her innocence were purposely overturned by her rivals and accusers (Ray). In

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The Salem Witch Trials; Madness or Logic In Stacey Schiff’s, List of 5 Possible Causes of the Salem Witch Trials and Shah Faiza’s, THE WITCHES OF SALEM; Diabolical doings in a Puritan village, discuss in their articles what has been debated by so many historians for years, the causes of the Salem Witch trials. Schiff and the Faiza, purpose is to argue the possible religious, scientific, communal, and sociological reasons on why the trials occurred. All while making word by word in the writer’s testimony as if they were there through emotion and just stating simply the facts and theories. They adopt the hectic tone in order to convey to the readers the significance, tragedy, logic, loss, and possible madness behind these life changing events,

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The Mather’s played a role in the trials as well, Cotton Mather was the minister of Boston’s Old North Church. Cotton was a true believer in witchcraft and accused many people. Increase Mather was his father, who was the Boston Minister and mostly believed in witchcraft until his wife got accused of it, then he knew it was all

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“ In all, 10 of 18 depositions against Rebecca Nurse were signed by Putnams, but 2 of the other accusers had grudges against the nurse family as well’’. Revenge, Hysteria, and Popularity everyone has an idea on what caused the salem witch trials. It would take forever to just list out all the possible factors. Beleiving in the listed ones are the best bet. All the world can do is think and believe.

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For example, Annika L of the Salem Times states, “A fourth theory is that the girls behavior was caused by physical illness.” Despite the fact that such points could be defended with some logic, most of the support would be weak and loose. On the other hand, it can be concluded that the claim made by this essay is more logical and well supported if anything. All in all, it can be determined that the cause of the Salem Witch Trials was the attempt of Salem citizens to either defend or create family ties and enter or sustain continued community safety within the

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Gender roles played a heavy role in colonial society, and the women who did not conform to these roles were easy targets for witchcraft accusations. Women who were post-menopausal, widowed, unmarried were not fulling their “duty” to society of bearing children and thus could come under fire (Lecture.) Those who were aggressive, out spoken, or did not do as another wished could also bring cries of “witch!” (Lecture.) This is highlighted in Cotton Mather’s Accounts of the Salem Witchcraft Trials, one of these accused women Susana Martin stands trial with many of the testifiers being men who had been wronged by Martin in some way or another.

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The Witches were able to project themselves as innocent beings before attack an unsuspecting victim. Of course, the only sources Mather’s had to back up his arguments were his spiritual faith, the Bible, and court

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Salem, Massachusetts, USA and occurred between February 1692 and May 1693. Over 150 people were arrested and imprisoned and even more accused; but not pursued by the authorities. 29 were convicted of witchcraft but only 19 were hanged. The best known trials were in the Court of Oyer and Terminer.

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Nearly anyone from the New England has heard of the famous Salem Witch Trials. A year of persecution, leading to the accusation of nearly 200 citizens of all ages. No one was safe; men, women, children, even pets stood trial and 20 were hung for the supposed crime of witchcraft (Blumberg). 1692 was a year of witch hunting. Most today blame the trials on hysteria, or perhaps a bad case of paranoia.

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Moreover, another example of this is Abigail’s grievance with John Proctor. She is furious that he no longer shows love for her so she tries to kill his wife to regain his affection. By pretending to be attacked she uses the already growing concern of witches to assists her in her endeavor to gain John Proctor’s love. Therefore, these grudges lead to many innocent people who were falsely accused and

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