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The Salem Witch Trials: The Diary Of Samuel Sewall

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The Salem Witch Trials started in February of 1692. They took place in a small village in Massachusetts that housed around 600 people. The trials initially began when a group of young girls in a place called started acting out. They then accused several women of “witchcraft”. This raised quite a bit of concern in the people of Salem. Many more cases came about, including the cases of Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, and Mary Easty. There are also a couple witnesses who wrote and/or told of the trials. Samuel Sewall was one of the people who wrote about it in a diary. Although the trials were thought to have begun because of a couple of girls wanting attention, was this really the reason they began? Or was the devil at work? As was mentioned before, …show more content…

Mr. Noyes prayíd at the beginning, and Mr. Higginson concluded.”(Sewall) This excerpt came from the diary of Samuel Sewall who was a witness during the Salem Witch Trials. Sewall was about 30 at the time of the trials, and he kept a diary telling of nearly all the events that took place during that time. He recorded everything from the time that the examinations took place, to the end of the trials. Another witness of the trials was Bartholomew Gedney. Gedney was born in Salem to one of Salem’s founders. He was a magistrate at several of the examinations. He was the magistrate of the examination of John Alden, his friend. During the examination, the afflicted girls were terrified and said that Alden had tormented them. When this happened, Gedney said to Alden that he “had always look’d upon him to be an honest Man, but now he did see cause to alter his judgment.” Alden said that he was sorry and that he would hope to get Gedney’s good opinion of him back. In fact, he did find Gedney’s approval when he was declared innocent after escaping

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It was not odd that they would not confess the first demonstration as reasonable proof against the accused and the trial continued after this acknowledgment was deemed forged, even though this witness was the sole grounds on which the accused names were originally issued was baffling. The early accusation is must be taken on reliance, and the reliance in Branch was dubious and not proven, best emphasized by this quote, “Perhaps, as the ministers suggested, her torments were a combination of involuntary fits and crafted performance.”

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Norton discusses the many witch-hunts that took place before 1692 and writes that "with very few exceptions, [early New Englanders] believed unhesitatingly in the existence of witchcraft. " Norton attempts to explain this tendency by pointing out that "In the world of 1692, many events lacked obvious explanations: Children suddenly sickened and died, farm animals suffered mysterious ailments, strange noises were heard and ghostly visions seen." After indicating the psychological vulnerability of 1692 Salem by proclaiming that "during the early 1690s, residents of [Massachusetts] were experiencing many setbacks that needed explanation," Norton highlights some of the unique aspects of the Trials. The staggering number of accusers and accused, exponentially greater than in any previous witchcraft case, "cry out for explanation. " The geographic reach of the case, she argues, is significant as well-—whereas prior cases were based on accusations coming from one or two different towns, the Salem Trials involved victims and "witches" from over 22 different locations.

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He was in Salem in the dungeon. Since Mary Warren accused him of witchcraft. Rev. Hale figured out that the people were innocent. Finally he realized that everything is a lie from the girls, there is not witchcraft at Salem. Rev. Hale wants that the condemned people to confess to save their lives even if is a lie he wants them to confess.

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This stage first develops when he travels around Salem, personally investigating the people mentioned in the court. The conversation between the Proctors and Reverend Hale shows that he has suspected the girls of lying due to their fear of being hanged. Furthermore, when Giles Corey and Francis Nurse come to the Proctors’ household claiming that their wives have been taken to jail for witchcraft, it becomes evident that Reverend Hale is becoming increasingly doubtful. “Hale, in great pain: Man, remember until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven” (Miller 68). Although he is defending the court’s decisions, the words in italics point out his increasing misgivings and reservations.

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I am an innocent person.” (III.542-543). Rebecca Nurse lived in Salem Village on a large farm. She was known for her religiousness, and was a follower of Salem church. John Proctor was a successful farmer and the first male to be named a witch during the Salem Witch Trials decision.

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The man that acquired the help of Reverend Hale during the witch trials has been killed for being seen as unuseful. It is believed that there has been clamored intimations that persuade the court to

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The Director’s Notebook: The Salem witch trials of the spring of 1692 began after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, started having symptoms of being possessed by the devil which then led to the accusations of several local women of witchcraft. Hysteria broke out in Salem; a special court convened in Salem to hear the cases. 19 people were hanged, and 150 more men, women and children were accused over the next several months. By September 1692, the hysteria began abate and public opinion turned against the trials.

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In 1692, the people in Salem, Massachusetts went on a hunt accusing people of being witches. This was a hysterical time in history known as the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials led to many distraught people and false accusations. The famous trials started with two sick children and then led to discrimination manly towards women of a lesser class. The accused people were tortured and eventually killed.

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Just arriving in Salem, Rev. Hale is already the center of everyone’s attention; he was going to be the hero who finds the witch and brings back the holiness of the town. Hale was determined to find the truth and felt that he had to know everything about a person before they were convicted. When talking to John and Elizabeth Proctor, he mentions,” … I find it hard to draw a clear opinion of them that come accused before the court.” (Miller 63).

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The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem Massachusetts in the year 1692. Salem was part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was under British rule. There was no charter to in force laws and the colony was waiting for a new governor. Salem was split into two distinct settlements, which was Salem Town and Salem Village. Salem Town was very prosperous because of the commerce, fishing, shipbuilding and other activities involving trading and an urban area.

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Pretense, sir” (Miller, 106). The girls turn on her and she again goes back on her story and doesn’t tell the truth. Because she is aware that she may not be believable in court, she goes mad and then, accuses Proctor of

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Some judges were believers in witchcraft and “presumed all accused guilty before their trials began” (Dickinson 940), depicting unfairness for those who were going to be tried. Inclusively ministers who “contributed so much to the common madness” (Dickinson 940) exhibited no help for a peaceful proceeding and ending toward the cases of witchcraft. Overall, one can better understand the Salem witch trials through comprehending that the result of the cases was affected by the input of society and the superiors of the

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When the witch accusations were first made, Reverend Hale was summoned to Salem to give his expert advice. He was considered a specialist in demonology. When he arrived, he started to interview the accused people. He tried to convince the judges of Salem that everything was a lie and that witchcraft did not exist. When they refused to listen, Reverend Hale left the court.

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“What made a minister who saw the dangers, who wanted to protect the innocent and convict the guilty, side with the court?” ( Overview) Hale was brought into the village of Salem on a mission to prove if there was witchcraft present. Hale comes into the village with good intentions, and a strong desire to help the village. (Overview) As the story unfolds, Hale begins to notice how the girls are throwing out the accusations as a way to gain attention, and causing innocent people to be murdered or taken to prison.

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