Salem Witch Trials: Women Were Not Seen As Humans In History

Salem Witch Trial History

Women were not seen as humans in history. The Salem Witch Trials occurred during the years of 1692 and 1693. The Salem Witch Trials had an impact on women because they were said to be more likely to sin than men. Some of the reasons why women were said to be witches more often than men is because that people had strong religious beliefs that put more responsibility on women, ergot and crop diseases plaguing the lands, and there was few activities to do.

The strong belief that the Puritans held was that witches and witchcraft existed. According to them, the witches had an alliance with the devil in which he gave the witches power to do harm. The witches were blamed for illness and crop failure. Ergot poisoning it was

There were 200 women accused of practicing witchcraft. Of these 200, twenty were put to death (Blumberg 2007). Many Christians thought the devil could control people, especially women. In England, approximately 350 people had been caught allegedly practicing witchcraft between the years 1620 and 1725. Religion in Salem Witch Trial was heavily influenced by the church, and Christian Church was mainly the Puritan Society in the 17th Century (Brooks 2011). They had to follow a strict code, and if they went against that code, they would be considered sinning and be punished. The Puritans believed the devil was as real as God. The women accused of doing witchcraft were an easy target for the devil, according to Puritan

They had to charge for their cells that they had to live in, but there were also cells so small that the only thing a prisoner could do is stand. Furthermore, they had to pay for their cuffs, chains and leg shackles. Accused witches that were going to be hanged had to be taken to the Gallows Hill, and their body was left to sway over time. The bodies was taken down and thrown into the nearest ditch. If the prisoner died from a disease or affliction, they would have their families pay for the removal of the corpse. Approximately a dozen people died in the prison.

Whenever people visited, the staff would sell alcohol for one Euro, which in today’s money would be $1.23USD. Prisoners would gain a day of release if they visit their family, but they would have to come back during night time. Some of them could be able to bribe their way out of jail, if they were wealthy enough or knew the right person. Sadly, the youngest person in jail was Dorcas Good. She was only 4 years old. Her just-born sister died soon after birth, which Dorcas witnessed. It is said she caused the baby’s death. She also witnessed her mom getting hanged after being accused of witchcraft. She was sentenced to 8 months in jail, and she was judged when she got out of