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William Barker Sr.: The Salem Witch Trials

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In Massachusetts during 1692, Salem Village underwent a time of grief, trial, death, and Witchcraft. The chaos in Salem Village began when young girls would have what they called “fits” and they would scream vey vulgarly and fall onto the ground and shake uncontrollably (Magoon 6). These fits frightened the surrounding people and the Doctors of Salem couldn't find a diagnosis. After studying and trying to understand the illness they had, the people of Salem came to the conclusion that these girls were possessed by the Devil (Magoon 7). The result would lead to one of the most recognized events in American History, the Salem Witch Trials. For some citizens who lived in Salem these trials would bring life or death situations, “Authorities arrested …show more content…

was born in Andover, Massachusetts and was one of those accused of Witchcraft in 1692, however Barker wasn't executed like the majority of the ones inflicted. William Sr. was a town man and was known for his hard work. Although he worked hard to provide for his family, he seemed to always be in debt and owe something to someone. William said “he had a greate family the world went hard w'th him & was willing to pay Every Man his owne” (Salem Witch Trials). William had several jobs to his name, he was known as a fence viewer, and pound keeper. William had a total of 12 children and was married to Mary Dix (“Zrust Genealogy: Information”). Although William seemed like the perfect family man, he had his faults. William was accused of Witchcraft and was arrested and examined in Salem …show more content…

William begged magistrates for forgiveness and their condolences that he was in fact, innocent. Even though William did the accusations he was being convicted for he prayed for forgiveness and sympathy from the girls he afflicted (Salem Witch Trials). William tells magistrates that he “promises to renounce the devil and all his works” (“Zrust Genealogy: Information”). William later escaped the convictions and resumed to his life in Andover and then died peacefully in

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In 1690, he wed his third and final wife, Martha, who would also fall victim to the Salem Witch Trials (Text 1). By 1692, the

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The desire to have a good name is the goal of most townspeople in Salem 1692 . In fact, that pursuit may have been the cause for all the events that occurred. John Proctor, Abigail Williams, and Reverend Parris all have an ongoing concern for their reputation that spurs their actions and increases the effects of the Salem Witch Trial in 1692. John Proctor obsesses over his name’s sake and dies to preserve and purify it. He signed his name to a piece of paper declaring that he inhabited a witch like lifestyle.

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Reverend Samuel Parris played a significant role in the Salem witch trials, and many historians believe that he is the most responsible for the hysteria that swept through the town. There are several reasons why Parris is considered to be the most responsible for the witch trials. First, Parris was a divisive figure in the community. He was a strict Puritan minister who was known for his fire-and-brimstone sermons.

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In 1692, in Salem Massachusetts, accusations of witchcraft caused fear and confusion throughout the town. Neighbors were accusing neighbors and everybody feared that they would be the next to be accused. In late February, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams had accused Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne. These three were seen as misfits in the society by many and none of the three were members of the church. On March 11, 1692, under the pressure of Reverend Samuel Parris, the girls accused Goodwife Martha Corey, a god-loving midwife who never would have been taking part in any type of witchcraft.

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La”Trell Holmes Hour 8 Research Paper Is Arthur Miller’s The Crucible historically accurate? There are two answers to this question. Both yes, and no it is not. The Crucible has historical facts and information in it, actual events that occurred, but also some changes in the actual happenings of The Salem Witch Trials.

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The Salem Witch Trials were a terrible event in human history that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The Trials started with a few people being accused of witchcraft and did not take long to transform into mass hysteria among the town. There are many theories for what caused the Witch Trials. Some people would argue that the girls led by Abigail Williams caused the Salem Witch Trials, or that the “ignorant” judge failed to see through their lies. However, the true reason why the Witch Trials took place is the society that people lived in and a parasitic fungus called Ergot.

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The Salem witch trials of 1692 realized the execution by hanging of fourteen women and five men reprimanded for being witches. one man was pressed to death by overpowering weights for declining to enter a supplication and more than one hundred and fifty individuals were detained while foreseeing trial. In light of the survival of various critical records, including notes, articulations, and power choices, the essential truths of the claims, catches, trials, and executions are known. On January 20, 1692, in Salem, the Reverend Samuel Parris' daughter, Elizabeth, and his niece, Abigail Williams, began show bizarre behavior, including thundering joke and going into trances. Sarah and Osborne maintained that they were exemplary and stayed unconscious of

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When the trials first began, he had signed many death warrants for convicted witches in the town. Towards the end, however, John Proctor presented solid evidence that everyone has lied about seeing witches and the devil. One of the girls who claimed to see witches, Mary Warren, confessed that everyone was pretending. Instead

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Imagine that a person is accused and arrested for a crime that they did not commit. Also, imagine this person has been accused not by someone who “witnessed” them commit the act, but is accused by someone who heard the story of them possibly committing it. For Reverend George Burroughs this was a reality. Reverend Burroughs was one of the 20 people executed for witchcraft in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. He was also the minister of Salem Village from 1680-1683 (Nichols and Whelan).

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The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. It was such a massive, bizzare occurance that logically, something or someone should be blamed for the start of it. Although it is one of America’s most showing cases of mass hysteria, there had to have been many other causes for the tragic ending. Salem’s tragic ending in The Crucible was clearly caused by an abundance of factors, but the two most weighty were Abigail Williams and the idea of reputation in Salem. Abigail Williams is very much to blame for the tragic ending in Salem for many reasons.

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Bridget Bishop, a resident of Salem, was the first person to be tried as a witch. Surprisingly, Bishop was accused of witch craft by the highest number of witneses. After Bishop, more than two hundred people were tried of practicing witchcraft and twenty were executed. Many of these accusations arose from jealous, lower class members of society, especially towards women who had come into a great deal of land or wealth. Three young children by the names of Elizabeth, Abigail, and Ann were the first three people to be “harmed” by the witches.

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The only way that he could clear his name is by confessing and accusing others of witchcraft. He refuses to ruined his friends’ reputation, which led to him being guilty and hanged. However, he was aware of the reasons behind the false accusations. Mary Warren was peer pressured into accusing him by Abigail Williams and the girls. Abigail Williams desired for power and revenge caused the Salem witchcraft.

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In 1692, Salem went through a series of trials known as the Salem Witch trials. During this time, people lied to save their lives or told the truth and executed. Innocent people lost their lives due to witchcraft, saving loved ones, and/or hiding things from the court. You are probably wondering how this all came about. Well, Abigail Williams contributed the most to the witchcraft hysteria and should be held responsible for the imprisonment and execution of innocent people.

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Dear whomever may be reading this letter, I am writing this to show the madness of the witch hunts here in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay colony. Two girls have accused three women of witchcraft, and one of them, a slave confessed to being a witch. She accused four women and three men, and to escape death the accused pleaded guilty and named others, whipping the people of the village into a rabid frenzy. As I am writing this twenty people have been killed, and I pray that no more are sent to follow them to the gallows. About two hundred have been accused, and it seems the only way to escape death is to name more witches.

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