What Are The Effects Of Salem Witch Trials On American Society

Although many people have their assumptions as to what specifically caused the Salem Witch Trials, no one has a definite account of what caused them. One must use logic and knowledge to come to choose and realize multiple factors that played a part. The Salem Witch Trials were caused by religion, politics, teenage boredom, family feuds, economic conditions, and fears of the people. The overall effect of the trials did not have a serious effect on American society as a whole, but only as Salem as a whole. During the spring of 1692, a hysteria swept through the little town of Salem, Massachusetts (present-day Danvers, Massachusetts) that will end as quickly as it began. To understand the events that took place during the Salem witch trials

It was seen as sinful to focus on things such as playing with games or toys instead of doing chores and reading the bible. Many of the girls such as Betty Paris and her cousin Abigail Williams would spend time with the Parris’ slave Tituba speaking of fortune telling and magic, these things were forbidden due to Puritan values. In January the girls started experiencing fits of screaming, twitching, and rolling on the floor. Parris had a doctor come examine them and concluded they were victims of witchcraft. The girls blamed Tituba and two other social outcasts. The first Salem witch Trial was held on June 2nd 1692. At the trial Tituba made the fears and accusations real scaring many of the towns people and dooming not only herself but also the other two women accused, “Tituba announced that the children had not been bewitched by spirits but instead by the devil himself, who often appeared to her as a tall man carrying a witches’ book. According to her the book contained the names of nine local witches, two of them being Osborne and

Governor Phips pardoned the remaining accused. Many of the convicted still sat in jail because they could not afford the charges for their release. Anyone convicted of witchcraft had their property confiscated by the government, leaving people with nothing and no way to free themselves. After the trials Puritans began to decline. Many went their separate ways into different Protestant sections. Many of the townspeople claimed that the devil had tricked them all. As for the judges and ministers, most felt no guilt. Instead they placed the blame onto others. Out of the five little girls who accused the innocent men and women of witchcraft only one apologized for her actions. Something positive to come out of the Salem Witch Trials was that the Puritan faith and superstition were replaced with the Enlightenments ways called the Age of Reason. Children were now allowed to have more freedom than before and experience new things other than that of the adult’s