Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

For my research paper project, I will be writing about the Salem Witch Trials. The year 1692 was a major event in history, The Salem Witch Trials leaves this country with many of questions as to what and why this happened in such a small town. This event was the main focus at this time, more than a hundred innocent people were found guilty of practicing witchcraft at this time. I chose this topic because I have always been interested in this event in our history. I also really care about women’s rights and how we are treated, considering most of the people tried for this time in history were women this made me even more interested. Although there were children, and men there was more tired women. This paper will include very detailed information

Witches were stereotypically women, they believed that the women would make a diabolical pact with evil spirits. They would reject Jesus and take part in the witch’s sabbath becoming evil they would have a “devil's mark.” People believed that they would in frustrations, struggle to gain the power to deal with infertility, fear for children, revenge against lover these are reasons they did witchcraft. The people who were accused basically invited the devil to take their body, so the devil would be in human form. The evil things these individuals did were not done by themselves, but by the evil spirit who took over their body. But to other people all they saw was that the afflicted girls not the evil spirit that was inside, only the afflicted girls could see the evil spirit. So their was a possibility that Satan could appear in the shape of an innocent person. The first convicted witch Bridget Bishop, was hanged that June 1692. Eighteen others followed Bishop some 150 more men, women, children were accused over the next several months. In January 1692 9-year old Elizabeth Parris, 11-year old Abigail Williams began having fits, including violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming. A doctor diagnosed bewitchment. Two women were accused of bewitching them and had arrest warrants. Several accused witches confessed and named still others and trails began to overwhelm local justice system. Some were hanged on Gallows Hill, seven of them died in jail, elderly's was pressed to death by stones after he refused to enter a plea at his