Salem Witch Trials Research Paper

Words: 494
Pages: 2

In the late 1600s, a small county known as Salem was suddenly taken over by mass hysteria and accusations of several women believed to be practicing witchcraft. This resulted in over 100 imprisoned individuals and nearly two dozen people, mainly women, being publicly executed. The Salem Witch Trials stands to be one of the darkest times in American history, marked by extensive fear, hysteria, and loss of innocent lives. Discussion will be made on the motives of these accusations, raising questions on whether these were based on personal disputes, societal pressure, or actual belief in the supernatural. Was this a series of personal grudges and vendettas, or a genuine conviction of witchcraft and belief in witchcraft? This historical event displays …show more content…
The seemingly unexpected death of local families' livestock was often blamed on witchcraft, with coming to the sudden conclusion that a witch had left a curse on the family. These influences fueled the hysteria that rained over the small town of Salem in 1692. Between the early months of 1692, two young girls suddenly started experiencing unusual behaviors including spontaneous screaming, making inhuman-like sounds, or even twisting their bodies in odd positions. Over a short course of time, more young girls started inhibiting these behaviors, with doctors not being able to link any particular reason to them. This further led to the first three women being arrested and accused of witchcraft. Sarah Good was one of the first accused witches. Sarah was a homeless woman at the time, she had accumulated debts from past marriages along with her father, leaving her almost worthless inheritance after his passing. She wasn’t liked in her community, for reasons like not attending church enough, implying that she only had self-interest in mind. This was further proven when she started off the trails, with many wanting her