The problems with the Salem witch trials The late 1600s was a time of mass hysteria due to witchcraft. The Salem witch trials happened because of this. The Salem witch trials were a series of trials and prosecutions of innocent people accused of witchcraft. People who were accused were either thrown in jail or executed. Most people in a town had been accused or been accused of witchcraft by the end of the trials. People were innocently accused during the Salem witch trials because of social and religious issues. Social and religious issues were the problem during the Salem witch trials, but what were the symptoms of witchcraft? There are many symptoms associated with witchcraft, such as birthmarks, warts, or moles. These symptoms were seen …show more content…
This goes against baptism, which is what some religions do to wash away their sins. During baptism, an individual is submerged in water. The second test was a prayer test. It was believed that a witch couldn’t speak scripture out loud, so an accused witch would have to read scripture without error. The third test was a touch test. A witch would be placed in a room and someone would touch them. If they had no reaction, they would be presumed innocent, but if they did have a reaction, then it would be proof that they were under a spell. The fourth test was called witch cakes. This is a form of counter-magic. “In cases of mysterious illness or possession, witch-hunters would take a sample of the victim’s urine, mix it with rye meal and ashes and bake it into a cake”(Andrews). This cake would be fed to a dog, and if the dog fell under the spell, then that would be proof of witchcraft. The fifth test is called witch’s marks. A witch would be stripped and searched for a mark that would prove that the person came in contact with the devil. The sixth test was pricking and scratching. The person was scratched and pricked until the examiner got proof that they were a