Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

Words: 552

Pages: 3

Open Document

The events leading up to the Salem witch trials began with a merchant from Boston named Samuel Parris coming to Salem. He brought with him his wife, their children, a niece and two slaves. His daughter, niece, and their friend were named Betty, Abigail Williams, and Ann Putnam, respectively. The former two, Betty and Abigail, showed odd behavior in January 1692. They were throwing things, screaming, contorting their bodies, making strange sounds, and complained about pinching and biting feelings. While thiscould have been the cause of a disease, at the time science was not good enough to know that they had one. Other people began experiencing the same behavior, and given the fact that the local doctor William Griggs was unable to identify any illness, he diagnosed them as being bewitched. …show more content…
They all claimed innocence, but due to her status as a slave and being constantly badgered Tituba eventually said what people were waiting to hear. She said that the devil had visited her and that she was told to sign a book, on which she saw Good and Osborn’s names, along with seven others she could not make out. To the magistrates, this was evidence of more witches in the town, and thus the trials began.On May 27, 1692 Sir William Phipps, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony, ordered a Court of Oyer and Terminer (Oyer meaning “to hear” and Terminer meaning “to decide”) to be held. The court had seven judges, and the accused had to defend themselves without a counsel to aid them. To make it harder for the accused, spectral evidence was allowed. This meant that someone could claim they hada specter of the accusedattack them, and that would hold as evidence.Those thattestified for their innocence were often met with death, while those pleading guilty or that revealed other “witches” would be left to receive punishment by

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

In 1692, a small village in Massachusetts was trapped in a bubble of fear and paranoia, leading to one of the worst events in American history known as the Salem Witch Trials. This hysteria was caused by religious beliefs, social tensions, and revenge, resulting in the unfair accusations of innocent people. The Salem Witch Trials began when several young girls in the village started showing strange behavior, such as spasms and fits. Unable to explain these occurrences, the Puritan community became…

Words 361 - Pages 2

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

I have decided to research the hoax of the Salem Witch trials. This was something that started in the spring of 1962. It was a hoax that began because of a group of girls who claimed that they were being possessed by the devil. This led the people of Salem to begin to believe in witches. After this, the people of Salem started slowly believing in witches. People became paranoid and there the Salem Witch Trials began. Young innocent people were being charged with witchcraft and killed. People attempted…

Words 365 - Pages 2

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

being bewitched. A tale was created by the girls that spread from neighbor to neighbor, causing mass hysteria and chaos in the town of Salem. Later that year, over 150 men and women were imprisoned on the accusation of witchcraft. By the end of the trials, 19 people were unfairly hung and executed; it was the largest witch trial to occur in the U.S. The Salem Witch Trials were unfair executions of the innocent caused by hearsay and mass panic. Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams were born into wealthy…

Words 1520 - Pages 7

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

took shape in the form of very strict ideals, including the belief that women should be submissive, uneducated, and silent. As rumors and accusations of nonconformity began, they gained yet another similarity with Europe- the witch hunt craze. In the 1690’s, the Salem witch trials sparked a wave of fear of witchcraft and nonconformity, which influenced stereotypical gender roles for future generations.…

Words 794 - Pages 4

Research Paper On The Salem Witch Trials

The Wicked Witches of Salem The Salem Witchcraft trials in Massachusetts during 1692 resulted in nineteen innocent deaths. Many men and women were hanged and one man was pressed to death. Although Salem was home to the witchcraft trials, the hysteria spread to many towns around Massachusetts. The witchcraft trials are responsible for hundreds of innocent deaths over time. It began at the end of 1691 when a few girls in the town of Salem were seen dancing in the woods. Dancing and partaking…

Words 1593 - Pages 7

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

Witchcraft The Salem Witch Trials is a big historical event in the 17th century relating to Witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials started in the spring of 1692. A hysteria had gone throughout Massachusetts about people being possessed by the devil. Over 150 men, women, and children were accused, September 1692. As many were puzzled on this topic, other people had come up with theories. Some believed smallpox epidemic caused Witchcraft and others believed it was caused by a fungus ergot showing symptoms…

Words 382 - Pages 2

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

The Salem Witch trials continue to captivate many up to this day, though many centuries later. This panic throughout the town heightened accusations of witchcraft provoking massive destruction along with endless fear, doubt, and injustice. As a result, the blame is on children, men, and women. There were several created hysterias, like if family livestock perished out of coincidence, it was supposed a witch cursed their family. Ongoing beliefs like this erupted in madness within the village. Many…

Words 201 - Pages 1

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

The story of the Salem witch trials continues to fascinate people because it has the potential to teach us important lessons about fear and prejudice. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft. In fact, a group of girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, said they were possessed by the devil and accused many women of witchcraft. The reason they accused these women of witch craft was because they had something that the girls desired. In all honesty…

Words 251 - Pages 2

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

Trials of Conspiracies Something that is so controversial and still stirs up paranoia is witch trials. Witch Trials have been around for centuries and follow the practice of magic and use of spells and spirits towards others. The Salem witch trials in specific were significant because the public had let this topic become out of control and so widely spoken of so soon. In Massachusetts 1692, three young girls had a strange feeling coming over them. They started feeling controlled and would convulse…

Words 3799 - Pages 16

Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

convicted of witchcraft, to gladly confess to being a witch. According to the information that I was given, the only real plausible decision during that time would to say “yes” to being a witch for even though I would know better than to think myself a witch I would rather stay alive by confessing to such an outrageous crime rather than deny the accusation to later be killed for telling the truth. I believe that many other people during the Salem Witch Trials did the same in order to say themselves from being…

Words 718 - Pages 3