The course of events salem witch trials essays the Salem witch trials included the factor of religion, many reasonings to the explanation of the fits and finally the creation of hope, leading to new laws and justice. Most of these women who were accused had the descriptions of usual suspects who could fit as witchcrafts. There were earlier executions in England where it is estimated that 12 people were killed Aronson The Salem Witch Trials of was brought about by the Puritans severe religious standards and intolerance of anything not acknowledged with their scripture. In New England colonial leaders became concerned during the s with the emergence of witchcraft that was viewed as the Devil's desire to subvert God's Commonwealth, salem witch trials essays.
Discussion
The Salem Witch Trials was the largest and most lethal outbreak of witchcraft in American history. Salem Village was extremely claustrophobic, isolated and filled with emotional instability, salem witch trials essays and gluttony. These affected girls fell ill after playing a salem witch trials essays telling game and later began to act strangely Brooks. The symptoms of the affected girls included hiding under furniture, contorting in pain and experiencing a fever Brooks. The first two affected girls were Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, they began to name the three women whom they believed were bewitching them. These individuals included Sarah Good, Sarah Osbourn and Tituba who was a salve at the time.
All three of these women were considered social outcasts and were easy targets for this suspected crime. Fear and hysteria in Salem MA, created a culture that led to the mistreatment of women. The Salem witch trials, a cover up for other deeper issues or simply a religion matter? These individuals also feared their religion was under attack again and worried they were losing control of their colony. The Puritans strongly believed and felt that the Devil was as real as the all holy God whom himself, they loved and worshipped.
The puritans felt that if members of society were weak or considered the weakest at upholding the correct values and morals, specifically women and children, they would then be selected to carry out the Devils dirty work. Witches were considered to be followers of Satan or the Devil and felt as if the accused individuals traded their souls for his assistance. It was believed that they employed demons to accomplish deeds, the act of doing this salem witch trials essays the souls from human to animal form. Many individuals of this religion believed that this is where witches were to come into play or action and therefore were deemed punishable under Puritan Law.
Puritans believed that in order for sins to be forgiven one had to with hold a solemn vow or relationship with God, if one was not to maintain the practice of preaching they then they were considered sinful. Predestination, salem witch trials essays, the idea that God had chose you and granted you a certain role. On December 17th, William Stoughton, whom was in charge of the trials conducted or issued a proclamation in the salem witch trials essays of establishing amends with God himself. So, what was the reasoning behind the Salem Witch Trials? Was it the work of the Devil, influencing women and children to act on behalf of him or was it a serious illness caused by their environment?
Were these trials an act of revenge among social outcast or all individuals? Many forms of reasoning have been brought to the table of why this event happened, was it epilepsy, boredom, child abuse, salem witch trials essays, mental illness or even a disease brought on by eating rye infected with fungus? Sadly, these accused individuals consisted mostly of women and children, this category of people was easily accused due to many salem witch trials essays viewing them as sinners, allowing easy attest and persuasion of the devil.
When the trials began three women were called upon for questioning, salem witch trials essays, Sarah Good, Sarah Osbourn and Tituba. Sarah Osbourn married a wealthy man by salem witch trials essays name of Robert Prince, Prince owned acres of farm land. In the year Robert passed away, salem witch trials essays, leaving Osbourn behind with their two young children and the remaining land. In the following years there were many court cases dealing with the battle over the land, Sarah Osborne virus her own children. Sarah Osborne was placed in jail and later died while being shackled to a wall, therefor never receiving a fair trial. Many historians continue to point the finger of blame towards the slave Tituba salem witch trials essays was owned by Samuel Parris of Danvers, Massachusetts.
Historians felt as her confession fueled the fire of the trials, she confessed to introducing the young girls to the supernatural realm salem witch trials essays world. Ergot is a fungal disease of grains such as rye and it is caused by the species claviceps, which is a fugus that grows on the ears of rye. This disease increases the risk of infected plants and harmful harvests, windy climates increase the risk of the disease spreading. Innocent until proven guilty. In May, as the number of cases grew, Governor William Phips set up a special court for the presented cases, this court would become known as the Court of Oyer and Terminer and would hear cases that are extraordinary and serious in nature.
During these trials this right of innocent till proven guilty was not given, all suspects were salem witch trials essays guilty. This method consisted of placing the prisoner or the accused on the ground, naked as the day they were born with a heavy board on top of them. Proctor felt as these accused as well as himself have and will not receive a fair trial and wished to have the trials moved to Boston. In the year ofsalem witch trials essays, one of afflicted girls Salem witch trials essays Putnam, Jr. Nurse was a well-respected individual whom helped spark the question of if trials were the right course of action, salem witch trials essays.
It was this same year that the state of Massachusetts cleared the name of some of the remaining victims that were not listed in the law. These possibilities include the people having a voice, a say of their environment and surroundings. As you continue to review history you will notice that all events good or bad, better or aid our nation. Such as the history of women and children being easy targets for hardships like abuse and mistreatment lead to the creation of the 19th amendment which states that equal protection and rights are granted to any gender and race of a United State citizen.
Mistreatment is the act of treating an induvial unfairly or badly such as the culture Salem MA created against women. The course of events during the Salem witch trials included the factor of religion, many reasonings to the explanation of the fits and finally the creation of hope, leading to new laws and justice, salem witch trials essays. Cruel and unusual punishment was a huge factor that lead to the disband of the use of spiritual evidence such as dreams and helped influence the creation of the equal protection act, amendment 19th.
The heaviest influencer of the trials was false blame of the witchcraft haze trend and the clash of region. Toxicologist in modern times have educated salem witch trials essays with a more accurate reasoning of the fits the young girls experienced and that was due to the consuming of a fugus called ergot, ergot is found in the hallucinate drug LSD. Our society today has grown to be more sensitive then around years ago, everyday new rights are being either created or demanded. All children in present times were produced breaking at least one of the ten commandments, one shall honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. These sinful acts would have led to the deaths of many individuals.
For example, many individuals or people have claimed to be the returning messiah or son of God, but no one truly every believes them whole heartily. Overall Salem experienced the most lethal and harmful outbreak of witch trials in American history. This essay was written by a fellow student. You may use it as a guide or sample for writing your own paper, but remember to cite it correctly. Choose skilled expert on your subject and get original paper with free plagiarism report. Essay About The Salem Witch Trials. Accessed January 7, In case you can't find a relevant example, salem witch trials essays, our professional writers are ready to help you write a unique paper. Just talk to our smart assistant Amy and she'll connect you with the best match. Home History Salem Witch Trials.
Academic anxiety? Get original paper in 3 hours and nail the task, salem witch trials essays. Get your paper price experts online, salem witch trials essays. The Salem Witch Hunt of Puritan Society that Lived in Salem. Need a custom essay sample written specially to meet your requirements? Choose skilled expert on your subject and get original paper with free plagiarism report Order custom paper Without paying upfront. Related Topics Hyborian Age Louis XIV Christopher Columbus Medieval Parthenon Nazi Germany Ancient Century Queen Roman Empire Domestication Silk Road Ancient Rome Ancient Egypt Mahatma Gandhi Napoleon Nationalism Mesopotamia Watergate scandal Slavery. You may also find these documents helpful Salem Witch Trials and Innocent People.
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In , Thomas Walley wrote, "Many are possessed First generation New England preachers focused on the afflictions of God rather than on those of Satan, and treated sin itself as the opposite of God instead of the Devil. However this would all change in when in Groton, Massachusetts, domestic servant Elizabeth Knapp pressed for a bewitchment diagnosis. The year-old girl exhibited strangely aggressive behavior which culminated with the murder of her neighbor. The Reverend of Groton judged the girl to be upright before God. Under pressure, the girl confessed that she had been tempted by Satan but had denied surrendering herself to him. A physician prescribed her treatment for a natural disease, but her fits occurred again, and her spiritual condition remained the same.
Reverend Willard of Groton expressed concern at her lack of repentance and fear that she had not fully confessed. When Elizabeth's fits occurred again, the physician interrupted her treatment and diagnosed her affliction as diabolical in origin. Although the girl continued to deny demonic possession, and attempted to resume the accusations of witchcraft, Rev. Willard no longer believed her and claimed she had covenanted with Satan. Eventually a diagnosis of demonic possession was agreed upon by everyone.
Significance of the Salem Trials. Anthropological interpretations. Modern anthropological interpretations have determined that witchcraft functioned "as a mechanism of social control as well as an outlet for frustrations, anxiety, and aggressive impulses. This function of relieving stress and tension acted not only at the level of the individuals who trialed witches, but also at the level of the community as a whole. These accusations of witchcraft also served as a means of restoring social equilibrium in a society which becomes unable to handle rapid change such as in the case of colonial America.
Massachusetts was in a state of unrest in the s and s with New England society and religion both declining. People feared the wrath of God and the possibility of society becoming corrupted by Satan through his agents. In the Crown revoked the Charter of Massachusetts and two years later, New England found itself under one government in the Dominion of New England which led to Massachusetts losing much of its traditional self-determination right. This state of decay and despair was amplified by the arrival of the royal governor Sir Edmund Andros who benefited from dictatorial power in the colony. The outbreak of civil war in England represented the pretext and opportunity for Massachusetts to send Andros home in chains.
The state of Massachusetts received a new charter in but the political context of the era had deeply affected New England society, and this would give rise to the "witch mania of " which is considered "a symbol of profound changes in the structure and evolution of Massachusetts society. Conclusion The fear of witches and demons that spread through Western society between the 16th and 17th centuries took many forms. In New England colonial leaders became concerned during the s with the emergence of witchcraft that was viewed as the Devil's desire to subvert God's Commonwealth.
Legal steps were taken by the Puritans in the attempt to protect themselves from what they regarded as witchcraft. Consequently, in Plymouth included in its Summary Offences that were "liable to death," the action of "Solemn Compaction or conversing with the devil by way of Witchcraft, conjuration or the like. Several teenage girls accused two hundred people of practicing witchcraft. Many of the accused were trialed by unqualified judges, and did not benefit from any sort of legal defense. Moreover, there was no physical evidence in any of the witchcraft cases; the accusations were based solely on spectral evidence. The significance of the witch trials that took place in Salem towards the end of the 17th century on American society was tremendous.
It was precisely these trials which launched the term witch-hunt used to describe the search of witches who were,…. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft Cambridge, Massachusetts, ; quoted in Robert Detweiler, "Shifting Perspectives on the Salem Witches," the History Teacher, 8. Frederick C. Drake, "Witchcraft in the American Colonies, ," American Quarterly Winter : The trial began March 1, , all but Tituba pleaded innocent. Tituba confessed and claimed there were other witches within the community. This cascaded a series of accusations, people like Martha Corey, Sarah Good's 4-year-old daughter, and eventually, Bridget Bishop.
Bishop was known for her gossip and promiscuity and despite her pleas of innocence, she was found guilty and on June 10th, was the first person hanged on Gallows. Salem Witch Trials The event of Salem witch trials happened in the year in the Suffolk and Middlesex counties of Massachusetts. The case was highlighted due to property disagreements, hysteria and jealousy. All because of personal vendettas, a dozen or more people were hanged even though there was no evidence but only stories and assumptions by the town's women and girls. The case was stretched for more than a year. The children described, each one of them separately, seeing Sarah and the other women flying as specters through the night.
The children, despite the threats they must have received from the women, they were brave and told the truth about what had happened. Other townspeople came forward with evidence I hadn't even heard of -- milk and cheese going rotten after a visit from one of the witches; animals. And their could be other, more personal reasons for the accusations. For instance, John Westgate's testimony includes a tale of how Mary Parker came to a tavern and chastised her husband for drinking. The children had unique symptoms that had never been seen before which again fuelled the speculation of witchcraft among the population. For instance, flapping of arms had never been witnessed and some of the children went to the extent of harming others.
It should therefore be known that these are issues that fuelled the craze against witchcraft in The most notable trials can be explained from the afflictions of different girls that occurred in early Aronson This account ends with trials that were conducted in May Some of the trials can be traced from initial witch hunts that had started earlier on which can be looked at from a wider context. There has been information about restitution as far as these trials are concerned which needs proper evaluation. All this accounts can be traced from two girls Betty and Abigail who exhibited strange symptoms that could not be proved by a medical doctor.
For instance, they complained of being pricked and pinched by people whom they did not see and this behavior later on spread to other young women. These events led to the first trial of three people which implores that a family feud might have been behind all these trials. Salem can be described as the home of a vicious rivalry that led to the famous witch trials because everybody was involved in one way or the other. This can be traced from heated debates that could even lead to fighting among different people. Most of these women who were accused had the descriptions of usual suspects who could fit as witchcrafts.
Nobody stood for the women which culminated to them being brought before a local magistrate. Many other trials followed these ones as instances of witchcraft continued to be reported in Salem and its environs. As much as the last notable trials were conducted in , public response to most of these events has continued as time goes by Hill Most of these issues have revolved around establishing the innocence of the accused individuals because they are supposed to be compensated. The descendants of people who were unfairly accused have been trying to honor their memories which are good developments.
A seed of paranoia had been planted in Salem which explains the sequence of events that followed as far as witchcraft persecutions are concerned. The story of Salem witchcraft trials has captured the attention of different stakeholders like artists and writers despite the fact that these events happened centuries of years ago. In this case, different aspects have taken liberties from distinct interpretations that have been explored Hill The events that happened before have helped to reinforce the fact that there is a boundary between post-medieval and medieval aspects that relate to different cultural constructions. It should occur that the cause of different symptoms that were encountered at that given time will continue being a subject of interest.
This is because explanations of those symptoms have been explored by different researchers to explain diverse occurrences that we are witnessing today. The world has seen some attacks on people because they are considered to poses supernatural powers which reinforces the fact that such issues will continue being witnessed every now and then. Aronson, Marc. Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Atheneum, Godbeer, Richard. New York: Cambridge University Press, Hill, Frances. A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials.
New York: Doubleday, Weisman, Richard. Witchcraft, Magic and Religion in 17 th Century Massachusetts. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, Need a custom Essay sample written from scratch by professional specifically for you? certified writers online. The Salem Witch Trials. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our Cookies Policy. Table of Contents. Introduction Discussion Conclusion Works Cited. Learn More. We will write a custom Essay on The Salem Witch Trials specifically for you!
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