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Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

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The True Reason Why the Salem Witchcraft Trials Were so Devastating In January 1692, there was a huge event in American History, most people know this as the Salem Witchcraft Trials. In the predominantly Puritan village of Salem in Massachusetts Bay Colony, two women were accused of witchcraft, their names are Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, the daughter and niece of minister Samuel Parris. To the community in the village they were acting strangely, vomiting, screaming, hallucinations, and convulsions. When they were brought to the doctor, he could not link the symptoms with any disease that he knew, therefore he diagnosed them as “bewitched.” As well many historians believe that the trials and executions were due to mass hysteria, …show more content…

They could confess, and be redeemed or go to trial. With there being little to no evidence, besides sightings of spirits, and someone doing harm to another, that is all it would take to find that person guilty. As well there were no defense lawyers, for almost every trial the person accused would be found guilty and executed. Between June and september of 1962 19 women and men were found guilty of witchcraft, and seeing as they did not confess to their actions, they were there by hung on Gallows Hill, few miles outside of Salem. Due to these incidents many say that these trials were one of the most tragic series of events in the history of the United States, as well the history of the Christian …show more content…

The community was relieved to know that there were no more witches, or any that they knew of. On September 22 1963 the last of the so-called witches were let out of prison in Salem. As of the day the Salem witch Trials had ended. During that time nearly 1 to 200 people were imprisoned in the Salem area because they were accused of witchcraft, twenty-four died, and fifty-five were falsely imprisoned. Although that was the official end to the trials, they still had a huge influence on life today. The aftermath of the trials created closer within the community. However a surprising fact about this is only one of the six girls apologized. Each girl lived a quiet normal calm life after the trials were over. As for the one that did apologize her name was Ann Putnam Jr., She accused sixty-two people of witchcraft and was the only accuser to apologize. She issued a public apology in 1706. She stated that she was sorry, and felt as though she was taken by satan. She said, "I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence that befell my father's family in the year about ninety-two; that I, then being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made an instrument for the accusing of several people for grievous crimes, whereby their lives was taken away from them, whom, now I have just grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons; and that it was a great delusion of

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Since the witchcraft was such a confusing and terrible time for everyone, people were getting accused by these girls all the time, a lot of the time the court and the church would look for signs of being a witch, like making the accused take the test i talked about before but sometimes they just trusted the girls and didn't look for evidence at all. They just convicted the person to be a witch. This seems crazy to me because it doesn't seem fair at all, they didn't even have a chance to prove that they were innocent, instead they were automatically a witch. The Salem Witch Trials finally came to an end when the whole town felt that it was getting way out of control.

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Additionally, both courts made use of the following method described in the Malleus maleficarum: “while he is being tortured, he must be questioned on the articles of accusation, and this frequently and persistently, beginning with the lighter charges-for he will more readily confess the lighter than the heavier. And, while this is being done, the notary must write down everything in his record of the trial - how the prisoner is tortured, on what points he is questioned and how he answers.” There was no presumption of innocence in the Salem trials; one was assumed to be guilty and in need of confession, rather than the plaintiffs being forced to prove the supposed acts of witchcraft performed against them. In conclusion, it is surprising that more defendants were not convicted of witchcraft, given the significant lack of due process rights for the accused and the (obviously) Puritan nature of those overseeing the Salem courts, in which hearsay and heresy went hand in

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In January 1692, 9-year-old Elizabeth Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams began having fits, including violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming. After a local doctor, William Griggs, diagnosed bewitchment, other young girls in the community began to exhibit similar symptoms, including Ann Putnam Jr., Mercy Lewis, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Walcott and Mary Warren. In late February, arrest warrants were issued for the Parris’ Caribbean slave, Tituba, along with two other women–the homeless beggar Sarah Good and the poor, elderly Sarah Osborn–whom the girls accused of bewitching them. Confession and Innocence

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The Salem Witch Trials I. From June to September of the 1692 in the small farming village of Salem, Massachusetts, nineteen people were hanged on Gallows Hill for the crime of witchcraft. But as many as thirty-seven (sources conflict as to the exact number) may have died when one factors in the men and women who were hanged, those who died in prison, and the one man (Giles Corey) who was pressed to death. I am writing about this incident because I believe it to be significant to history for two major reasons. Firstly, this incident did not occur in the time or place where one would have expected it.

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One of the most notorious periods of American history, the Salem witch trials of 1692 resulted in the execution by hanging of fourteen women and five men who were accused of being witches during a period of mass hysteria. In addition, one man was pressed to death by giant stones for refusing to even plea innocent. At least eight people died in prison, including infants and children alike. Additionally, nearly two hundred people were jailed for months awaiting a trial that never came. Due to the survival of a large multitude of records, including notes and official rulings, the true facts of accusations, trials, and even the executions are known by the public.

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The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 have become a prominent event in American culture. A series of the witch trials took place near Salem, part of the Massachusetts colony, in which more than 150 men and women were accused of witchcraft and dozens deteriorated in jail for months without trials. Those who were found guilty were hanged on nearby Gallows Hill. Only a combination of economic conditions, teenage boredom, and personal jealousies can account for the mass hysteria, spiraling accusations, trials, and execution that occurred in Salem Village, Massachusetts.

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The court met next on June 29th and had heard the cases of five accused women. All five pleaded innocent. They took them in for questioning and when they returned they had changed their verdict to guilty. The women were hanged on July 19. By this time the witchcraft hysteria had spread not only to Salem Town but to Andover.

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Most of the accused men and women were saved from execution, but part of the repentance was being able to help find other witches. “As 1692 passed into 1693, the hysteria began to lose steam. The governor of the colony, upon hearing that his own wife was accused of witchcraft ordered an end to the trials. However, 20 people and 2 dogs were executed for the crime of witchcraft in Salem. One person was pressed to death under a pile of stones for refusing to testify.”

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Nobody apologized, nobody wanted to take responsibility for what has happened. The United States is impacted by the Salem Witch Trials because people have always liked to point fingers at others. Just like Tom Robinson, the people in Salem got accused of doing things they haven’t done. But how did it all start?

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February 1692- Eleven year old, Abigail Williams, and nine year old, Elizabeth Parris, experienced hysterical fits of violence and odd behavior. The two young girls were taken to a doctor who diagnosed the use of witchcraft. What people didn’t know is that the girls had been having their own secret conferences involving the forbidden play. “On 29 February 1692, warrants went out for their arrest.” (Lindenauer, Leslie J. "Salem Witch Trials."

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In the Puritan colonists’ village, witchcraft is one of the things they fear the most among the Indian raids. During the ancient days, if people were caught being a witch, the penalty is death. The spectral evidence, fear, and accusations are the main reasons that cause the tragedy in Salem Witchcraft. It took 24 innocent victim’s lives and 200 people were accused. This tragedy starts in 1692 the difficult time in Salem Village, Massachusetts.

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Why Did Salem Happen? Salem Massachusetts in 1692 was a dark and trying time in the history of America. During this time our young country experienced what some might call an epidemic or an attack, not like the small pox or the Native Americans, but one that was self imposed, and just as destructive. The events started with accusations from young girls, which turned into trials with no proof, then false imprisonment, and ultimately led to the hanging of nineteen innocent people.

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People would accuse others for doing witchcraft just to get revenge, land, or to take the blame off of them (History.com). In the events of this it caused nineteen people to be executed by hanging, burning at the stake, or being crushed by rocks. In total 150 men, women, and children were accused and were awaiting trial before the end of it.(History.com) The Salem Witch Trials came to an end in May of 1693 when William Phips pardoned all and

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In Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, tensions were elevated. Many of the Massachusetts colonists experienced satanophobia, or the fear of Satan, for many years. This fear became heightened after three girls, 9-year-old Elizabeth Parris, 11-year-old Abigail Williams, and 11-year-old Ann Putnam began showing strange symptoms: extreme outbursts of screaming, violent contortions, and uncontrollable fits. But there were several other girls who showed similiar signs; they were all known as the 'Afllicted Girls'. After Elizabeth Parris's father questioned the doctor about her condition, the doctor came to the conclusion that the girls were bewitched since he found nothing physically wrong with them.

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In Salem, Massachusetts, Puritans were strong believers in the Bible. The Bible states, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” The Puritans beliefs led to them accusing 20 innocent people of being a witch, this resulted in their deaths in 1692. Even though the Puritans couldn’t see it at the time, their accusations were really based off jealousy, lies, and Salem being divided into two parts. One cause of the Salem witch trial hysteria was jealousy.

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