Essay on Witchcraft in the Small Village of Salem

Witchcraft was as a capital crime in seventeenth-century New England. Madness over witchcraft was caused by a group of girls (Kent 95). Witchcraft was considered a terrible crime throughout Europe; its punishment was death by hanging or burning (Dolan 8). Everyone in the village of Salem believed in witchcraft, and only a few had tried to use it (Kent 18). In 1692, Salem Village panic was a major event in United States history which will never be forgotten. The people of Salem were caught up in a hysteria of accusing many innocent woman of witchcraft, even though it started as just a couple young girls who had acted strangely. In the village of Salem news spread fast, because of its size. The spread of news was an important issue due to†¦show more content†¦Betty was nine years old, and Abigail was eleven (Dolan 4). Both girls lived with Reverend Samuel Parris, Betty’s father, the village minister (Dolan 4). The people of Salem believed in witches and their witchcraft. A witch is a woman who professes or practices the use of magic. A witch was believed by witchcraft experts to leave his or her body at night and travel freely (Kent 26). Due to witchcraft in the Salem Village, many women were accused of being witches (Salem Village). It was believed that the victims of witches had a special power (Dolan 31). Witchcraft and witches were believed by many people in the Salem village. The belief of witchcraft was thought of as an evil in the Salem Village. There was always danger that an innocent person might be accused of witchcraft (Kent 15). Witchcraft was one of the highest crimes in the colonies (Kent 15). Everyone in the village of Salem believed in witchcraft, and only a few had tried to use it (Kent 18). Witchcraft in the Salem Village was caused by a group of young girls which wanted to have fun until the situation got out of hand. The hysteria in the Salem Village was caused by young girls. A couple of young ladies in Salem Village began to get strange symptoms that were quickly interpreted by their parents as a result of witchcraft (Witchcraft in Salem Village: Intersections of Religion and Society, Divining America, TeacherServe). In January of 1692, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams began to have strange fitsShow MoreRelatedThe Main Causes Of The Puritans In The Salem Witch Trials1527 Words   |  7 Pagesduring the Salem Witch Trials which has become known as one of the mass hysterias to ever occur in American history. In 1692, individuals known as Puritans settled among a small village named Salem in what is now known as Massachusetts. The Puritans spent the beginning years of their settlement confronted with epidemics such as famine, disease, and Indian raids. Shortly after the Puritans were shaken by such issues, hysteria of the act of witchcraft circulated upon this small village which resultedRead MoreThe Mystery Of The Salem Witchcraft Trials1048 Words   |  5 Pages The Mystery 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 trialsRead MoreThe Causes of the Salem Witch Hunt Essay925 Words   |  4 PagesThe Causes of the Salem Witch Hunt Many American colonists brought with them from Europe a notion in witches and an intrigue with alleged manipulation with the devil. During the seventeenth century, people were executed for witchcraft all over the colonies, chiefly in Massachusetts. Various of the accused were women, inducing some recent historians to recommend that charges of witchcraft were a way of dominating women who endangered the present economic and social orderRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials931 Words   |  4 Pagesbehind the Salem Witch Trials but I am only going to state the ones I feel most important to me like politics, religion, family feuds, economics, and the imagination and fear of the people. With such a small town there is a lot of talk and conflict among others which begins causing hysteria and eventually got 20 people killed because of it, people who were not in fact guilty. The Salem town was separated into two parts which consisted of the people who wanted to separate from Salem and the thenRead MoreSalem Witch Trials Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe year 1692 marked a major event in history in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witchcraft Trials still leaves this country with so many questions as to what happened in that small town. With all the documentation and accounts of the story, people are still wondering why 19 people died as a result of these trials. This paper will discuss the events leading up to the Salem Witch Trials and the events that took place during and after the trials, and the men and women who were killedRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Essay1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials Donnell Campbell Throughout history millions of people have been scorned, accused, arrested, tortured, put to trial and, persecuted as witches. One would think that by the time the United States was colonized, these injustices on humanity would have come to an end, but that was not so. In 1692 a major tragedy occurred in America, the Salem witch trials. It all began when a group of girls accused others, generally older women, of consorting with theRead MoreEssay about Witchcraft in Salem1406 Words   |  6 PagesWitchcraft in Salem In the past, the word Salem has always been somewhat synonymous with the infamous witch trials. Thanks to works such as Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible†, many people find it hard not to envision a community torn apart by chaos, even though Miller’s play was not so much about the witch trials but instead a commentary on the rampant McCarthyism going on at the time he wrote it. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum, however, see a very different picture when the Salem witch trialsRead More Salem Witch Trials Essay1622 Words   |  7 PagesSalem Witch Trials Throughout history millions of people have been scorned, accused, arrested, tortured, put to trial and, persecuted as witches. One would think that by the time the United States was colonized, these injustices on humanity would have come to an end, but that was not so. In 1692 a major tragedy occurred in America, the Salem witch trials. It all began when a group of girls accused others, generally older women, of consorting with the devil. The witchcraft hysteria in SalemRead 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 MoreThe Trials Of The Salem Witch Trials1455 Words   |  6 Pagesthat which unknown or different from what they previously considered being true, right, or normal. Such was the case in 1692 when over a hundred people from the Salem Town, Salem Village, and surrounding areas of Massachusetts were accused of witchcraft, leading to numerous arrests and even executions. The events that transpired in the small New England colony have intrigued, seduced, and baffled historians since their occurrence hundreds of years ago. The majority of these historians have conducted