The Puritan Beliefs: The Salem Witch Trials

In the spring of 1692, Salem Massachusetts, the famous Salem Witch Trials begins after a group of girls claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused a group of women of witchcraft and using the so called “devil’s magic.” As the hysteria spread through the small colonies in Massachusetts a panic began to form as the innocent puritan lifestyle was threatened. In the end, 18 were sent to Salem’s Gallow Hill, and over 200 convicted of witchcraft, the known tradition of the Salem Witch Trials would undergo for years. The Salem Witch Trials grabbed American History by the neck and is not one of our most prideful moments. In Europe as early as the 14th century, beliefs in the supernatural and satanic practice that gave humans the power to harm others spread through New England colonies creating a panic within the very small religious colonies. The Salem Witch trials being the effect of the cause of epidemic with disease and war it was easily forsaken. Puritan views were very easily freed from normal civilization beliefs because of the ongoing issues, because of the very strict and narrow life of most of the villages. It was very easy for a mass scale such as the trials to take place. Everyone was

Puritans believed that all sins were to be punished. They believed that god would punish those who sin whether it be your child getting sick or your crops rotting. Puritans believed the devil was as powerful as god. The devil would pick the weakest people to serve for him. Those who the devil chose would be called witches. Witchcraft was the biggest crime you could do and death was the only punishment. Fear of “devils magic” was common in Salem. Many of the townspeople thought there was to be a devil's presence amongst those in the town's community. There were also many conspiracy theories leading behind the town's ministers that could never actually be