The Salem Witchcraft Trials Essay - 826 Words

The Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were the largest outbreak of witch hunting in colonial New England up to that time. Although it was the largest outbreak, it was not something that was new. Witch-hunting had been a part of colonial New England since the formation of the colonies. Between the years 1648 to 1663, approximately 15 witches were executed. During the winter of 1692 to February of 1693, approximately 150 citizens were accused of being witches and about 25 of those died, either by hanging or while in custody. There is no one clear-cut answer to explain why this plague of accusations happened but rather several that must be examined and tied together. First, at the same time the trials took place, King Williams War was†¦show more content†¦A group of Indians who massacred Dover, New Hampshire and a series of towns in the same area initiated the fighting. Many of the towns were burned to the ground and over fifty percent of their inhabitants were killed and the rest either captured and sold into slavery or escaped into the frontier. The survivors of these ambushes had endured the sights of extreme torture and brutal murder. After events like this many of these that survived experienced a medical condition known as post-dramatic anxiety stress disorder. Many of the accusers in the Salem Witch Trials were war-orphaned children and adults who had settled in and around Salem to get away from the fighting and the Maine frontier. Many of these may have been experiencing post-dramatic anxiety stress disorder which may have affected their judgment in the cases they brought against those that they accused. In order for a witch to have been put to trial, someone had to have accused them of being a witch and must have had some sort of evidence to explain their accusation, whether it was spectral or concrete. Most of the evidence brought against the accused was indeed spectral and usually consisted of the witch somehow causing harm to the victim and the victim later accusing whomever they saw victimizing them. One victim, Stephen Bittford credited witchcraft for his paralysis and neck pain. In recent years, the combination of these two symptoms has been attributed to a diseaseShow MoreRelatedSalem Witchcraft Trials : The Salem Witch Trials1723 Words   |  7 Pages2015 Salem Witchcraft Trials The Salem Witch Trials took place in colonial Massachusetts within modern day town Danvers and continued from sixteen ninety-two to sixteen ninety-three. The â€Å"Witchcraft Craze† rippled throughout Europe and included the events at Salem Village. This craze lasted from the thirteen hundreds to the sixteen hundreds and was caused by many religious reasons. More than two hundred people were accused of witchcraft, the â€Å"devil’s magic,† and twenty were executed in Salem TownRead MoreSalem Witch Trials : Witchcraft Trials1726 Words   |  7 PagesSalem Witch Trials Flaming sermons, bewitched girls, accusations being thrown here and there, and executions terrified colonists during the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch trials are well known, but they are not the first in America and are very small compared to other witch hunts. In 1648 Margaret Jones was hanged for witchcraft in Massachusetts (Brooks). In Europe 110,000 people were questioned during the 1300s to the 1700s, and 40,000 to 60,000 people were executed (New World Encyclopedia)Read MoreWitchcraft Trials And The Salem Witch Trials893 Words   |  4 PagesThe Salem witchcraft trials took place in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. The news of witches began to spread in Salem when a group of young girls gathered together in the kitchen of the Reverend Samuel Parris with his Indian slave named Tituba to experiment with witchcraft. After these young girls began to portray unusual behavior the village doctor came to the scene and diagnosed the girls to be possesse d by the devil. The news of the presence of witches spread throughoutRead MoreSalem Witchcraft Trials Of 16921194 Words   |  5 Pages19 March 2012 Important Facts in the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 Black magic. The Dark Arts. Voodoo. Sorcery. Conjuring. Witchcraft. No matter what they chose to call it, witchcraft was an evil association with the devil and the use of magic or the alleged use of magic, in the eyes of the Puritans of Salem, Massachusetts. And it was the â€Å"alleged† part that caused the Salem Witchcraft Trials tragedy of 1692. The Puritans believed the signs of witchcraft were apparent if only people knew whatRead MoreSalem Witch Trials : Witchcraft Essay1107 Words   |  5 PagesSalem Witch Trials Witchcraft has been around since the B.C. era, but erupted in the late 1600s. It began in Europe and eventually made its way to the New World. Witchcraft is believing in and the use of practical magic, such as casting spells, calling on spirits, or predicting the future. Witchcraft is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word, â€Å"wicce,† meaning wise. Therefore, it translates into â€Å"craft of the wise.† Wise people were those who were familiar with natures’ forces and were educated when itRead MoreThe Mystery Of The Salem Witchcraft Trials1048 Words   |  5 PagesMystery of the Salem Witchcraft Trials Jennifer Hollenbeck AP United States History Mrs. Price November 12, 2014 The Salem witchcraft trials were a particularly dark and mysterious time in the history of America. These trials that were arranged upon the belief of witchcraft could have multiple explanations. In my opinion these trials began as a combination between religious factors, boredom, social issues and all coming together in a mess of suspicion and deceit. Although these trials did startRead More Salem Witchcraft Trials Essay838 Words   |  4 Pages Salem Witchcraft Trials Thesis Statement ================ The Salem Witchcraft Trials occurred because of the depth of Salem Puritans belief in witchcraft and the devil. Introduction ============ The Salem Witchcraft trials started in 1692 resulting in 19 executions and 150 accusations of witchcraft. This was the biggest outbreak of witchcraft hysteria in colonial New England. The trials began because three young girls, Betty Parris, AbigailRead MoreWitchcraft : The Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials1219 Words   |  5 PagesWitchcraft is the use of magical powers. Witchcraft is often regarded as â€Å"black† magic. The article called â€Å"The Salem Witch Trials: 1692-1693† states that â€Å"[s]ince the early fifteenth century, so-called witch panics had periodically swept across Europe, causing witch hunts, accusations, trials and executions† (â€Å"Salem† 1). Although some children and males were accused, the greater part of the arraigned individuals were female (â€Å"Salem† 1). A debatable amount of around forty thousand individuals wereRead MoreSalem Witchcraft Trials : Hysteria And Craziness1470 Words   |  6 PagesSalem Witchcraft Trials This period in America can be summed up in two words: Hysteria and Craziness. The 1692 notorious Salem witch trials started after some young girls from Salem Village, Massachusetts, purported to be possessed by demons. The girls accused some local women of bewitching them. As the wild hysteria spread across Massachusetts, a court was specially set up to listen to the cases. Bridget Bishop was the first witch to be convicted and later hanged in June. Eighteen more wereRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Salem Witchcraft Trials1552 Words   |  7 Pages  Ã‚   The Massachusetts Salem witch craft trials, this was a complicated time in history.   With the conflict of the hangings, Salem didn’t have the best compromise. At a time in history when the government didn’t give Puritans religious rights, the Salem Massachusetts witch craft trials began. This conflict led to trails where the government convicted men and woman of practicing witch craft, thus being hanged. Thoug h this compromise stopped the witchcraft practicing, the government realized those men