Salem Witch Trials Essay

Presley Parker
Mrs. Roither
Sophomore English
31 March 2023 The Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials were a period between 1692 and 1693 where hundreds of local people were accused of witchcraft. The witchcraft hysteria in Salem first began in January of 1692 when a group of young girls, who later came to be known as the “afflicted girls”, became ill after playing a game. Billings, the writer of the Salem Witch Trials encyclopedia, states that the girls began complaining of physical ailments, reporting visions, falling into trances, trembling, and babbling uncontrollably”(Billings and Manning). Although the young girls were unsure as to why this began, they assumed it was the devil’s presence

The Puritan religion was comparable to the Pilgrim's religion. Both were English protestants who felt that England's reforms should have lasted longer. In contrast to the Pilgrims, the Puritans arrived in America in 1630 with the goal of reforming the Church of England. Many people believed that the Puritans were a religious government known as a theocracy. Although some other historians believed that it was a democracy. A Puritan is someone who wants to make the church more simple and purify it. The Puritans opposed the Church of England from becoming too similar to the Roman Catholic Church. However, the Puritans intended to retain all worship and ceremonial practices grounded in the Scriptures. Throughout the early 1600s, the Puritans retained firm beliefs in the existence of the devil as well as the Bible. Following the Reformation, the Bible began to provide solace and stability to the Puritans. Although PBS says, "Puritans lived in a continual state of spiritual anxiety, searching for signs of God's favor or fury" (American Experience, PBS). In 1534, King Henry VIII of England established the Church of England. This church became known as the Anglican Church. At the time, Henry did not desire a Catholic Pope. Despite this, he maintained and adopted many Roman Catholic traditions and rituals. Most people of the Puritan religion adopted the teachings of a

According to the Salem Witch Trial Museum, "a strong belief in the devil, a recent smallpox epidemic, the constant threat of attack by Indigenous tribes and their French allies, and boundary and border disputes between neighbors" ("1692 Salem Witch Trial Education | Salem, MA History"). These elements alone provide fear and suspicion. These anxieties were heightened in the second half of the seventeenth century "by a growing conflict in Salem Village, rising inflation, and the removal of the Massachusetts Bay Charter in 1684" ("1692 Salem Witch Trial Education | Salem, MA History"). In 1629, the royal charter was granted to the Puritans to promote the settlement of colonies by King Charles. Although, not long after this King Charles II and his brother James wanted to reject and revoke the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter. The rejection of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's charter, “a document granting the colonists permission to occupy the land, was a significant turning point for the Puritan religion(Brooks). The colonists violated various charter provisions, such as laws based on religion and discrimination against Anglicans, leading to its revocation. The removal of the charter was a step back for the Puritans. It caused boundary and border disputes between French allies and indigenous tribes. Rising inflation was another factor that contributed to anxiety and suspicion.