The Salem Witch Trials Of Colonial America - 905 Words

Brought to the New England colonies by the Puritans was not only a strict theology, but an understanding and fear of the supernatural world they believed was so tightly intertwined with their earthly world. Therefore, it was only natural for the pious colonists to be wary of things they did not understand and suspect denizens that did not act accordingly to the standards of what it meant to be a Puritan. However, even though there were many suspicions of certain individuals associating with the Devil and performing witchcraft, there was usually not enough substantial evidence to indict said individuals. Then, after several Native American raids, a change in government to an Anglican leader, and the arrival of Separatists, Puritans became even more wary and anxious of those around them. This turn of events set off the biggest witch hunt in colonial America, known as the Salem Witch Trials. Due to her personal misfortunes and venomous tongue, Sarah Good was one of the first three w omen to be accused of witchcraft and was later hung on July 19, 1692. The Puritans believed in predestination--where whether a person was going to Heaven or Hell was decided before they were born--and they did not know where they were going until Judgement Day. However, they had a system, in which, depending how a person lived their life, they could guess where that person was going. A person who lived a prosperous and spiritual life would probably be going to Heaven, while a person who livedShow MoreRelatedEssay about From Rosie to Lucy747 Words   |  3 PagesColonial America Katrina Moreno HIS378: Historiography amp; Historical Methodologies Instructor: Stacy Manning November 26, 2012 Colonial America In the colonial American time periodRead MoreThe Trials Of The Salem Witch Trials891 Words   |  4 Pagesmurdered after trials found them guilty of acts of witchcraft. The series of hearings and prosecutions of the accused witches in colonial Massachusetts marks one of the nation s most notorious cases of mass hysteria. The reasons behind the trials and deaths are complex and multifaceted. Internal disputes, strict religious lifestyles, accusations from young children, witch hunting methods, spectral evidence, and even some medical theories all stand as causes of the Salem Witch Trials. Political, localRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Essay1349 Words   |  6 Pagesstrongly believed that Satan was present and active on earth. Men and women in Salem Village believed that all the misfortunes that befell them were the work of the devil. For example, when things like infant death, crop failures or friction among the congregation occurred, people were quick to blame the supernatural. This concept first emerged in Europe around the fifteenth century and then spread to Colonial America. Formerly, peasants heavily relied on particular charms for farming and agricultureRead MoreAbdeali Dalal. Dr. Jenkins. History 1301. February 13,1541 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Escaping Salem; The Other Witch Hunt of 1692† â€Å"Escaping Salem; The Other Witch hunt of 1692† was penned and published by Richard Godbeer in 2005. Godbeer expressed his views on what he called basic witch trials in Salem and more importantly, in Stamford, Connecticut Massachusetts. The same year that Salem witch hunt and trials began in 1692, another witch hunt took place in Stamford, the Western Connecticut to when a woman (Elizabeth Clawson) from there was also accused of Witchcraft. These witch huntRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials838 Words   |  4 Pages In todays world, no other colonial American event intrigues audiences more than the Salem Witch Trials. Most of this intrigue results from the lack of information regarding the accused witches, the â€Å"bewitchment† of the girls, and the judges who controversially sentenced the witches to death without sufficient evidence. The mass paranoia resulting from the accusations of witchcraft is something that has haunted the region ever since the tr ials ended in 1693. Overall, the three main groups involvedRead MoreEssay on Salem Witch Trials Of 16921061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In colonial Massachusetts between February of 1692 and May of 1963 over one hundred and fifty people were arrested and imprisoned for the capital felony of witchcraft. Trials were held in Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town of Essex County of Massachusetts, but accusations of witchcraft occurred in surrounding counties as well. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem Village. Hysteria had swept throughRead MoreThe Trials Of The Salem Witch Trials1635 Words   |  7 Pagesof America is known to many as the Home of the Free. The United States has built itself on pride knowing that its citizens are protected against a government that abuses its power. Also, religious freedom and a separation of church and state are key fundamentals of America. However, the present day United States had to go through several conflicts in order to preserve the unalienable rights. One of these obstacles the United States had to overcome wa s the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch TrialsRead MoreCauses Of The Salem Witch Trials994 Words   |  4 Pagesdevelop the greatest consequence possible. The Salem Witch Trials are an example of such conflict, as they resulted in many people being falsely accused for crimes, arrested, and killed. But what provoked this mass hysteria? Scholars have attempted to answer this question, but the most common idea is that it was due to a variety of economic, social, and physiological problems within the Salem village. In order to understand the cause of the Salem Witch Trials, some background must be given about the eventRead More Religion in Colonial America Essay1520 Words   |  7 PagesReligion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role inRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials : Crisis1601 Words   |  7 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials: Crisis in Salem Village Many people know of the Salem witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the year 1692 spilling over into the year 1693. But for those who do not know, the Salem witch trials were a series of trials against men, women, and children accused of being a witch and or practicing witchcraft. In â€Å"The Devils Snare: The Salem Witch Trials of 1692† by Mary Beth Norton, the author recollects the stories of real life accounts of those accusers and