Theories Behind The Salem Witch Trials

Words: 409
Pages: 2
Open Document
Witches in Salem; Theories Behind the Accusations
In 1692, a series of strange behaviors and accusations amongst young girls stirred the community of Salem Massachusetts. In that year the cause of their afflictions were deemed due to witchcraft. Trials commenced and several members of the settlement were jailed or executed. As the witch hunt dragged on the townspeople and judges alike started to doubt the credibility of the girls testimony against “the devil's servants”. Historians have also questioned what truly happened in salem; why did the girls cry witches? Further investigation and research have yielded three plausible explanations. The first being the girls were bored of their daily lives and duties, and wanted to bring attention to …show more content…
The article “Salem Witch Trials” (2010) describes it as “an exhausting array of chores with little amusement.” The average family would make their own bread, butter, cider, ale, clothes, candles, “and just about everything else they used.” Rigorous work was also expected to be accompanied by complete devotion to God, perfect church attendance. The roles of Puritan men and women were distinct. Men were the head of the town, and voted within the church for the community. Women were thought to be the weaker of the sexes. In fact, according to “Puritan Life” (2017) “names of women found in census reports of Massachusetts Bay include Patience, Silence, Fear, Prudence, Comfort, Hopestill, and Be Fruitful. This list reflects Puritan views on women quite clearly.” The lack of enjoyment in life and confined freedom based on gender could drive young women to want attention and respect from the male members of their community. Other evidence is also incriminating. The online source Legends of America offers this information: a book called Memorable Providences related to witchcraft and possession detailed an episode of supposed witchcraft a year earlier involving an Irish washerwoman. The symptoms of the her victims was included in the book. This book happened to be in Reverend Samuel Parris’s library. Abigail and Betty’s behavior mirrored the book's description (Weiser, 2017). Could the girls have read that book and pretended to be afflicted? This is just one plausible explanation of the affliction. Another is supported
Show More

Related Documents: Theories Behind The Salem Witch Trials

Essay On The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials The Salem witch trials were one of the darkest events in American history, which was a result of events that occurred or it was belief of the Puritans in Salem, which caused trouble for hundreds of people who were either prosecutors or victims which left behind a broken city. There are many events that led to the Salem witch trials. The first event that is bigger than some of the others is their belief that Satan was acting in the world. The reason why that is one of the biggest…

Words 793 - Pages 4

What Is The Role Of Ergot In Salem Witch Trials

1692, Salem went wild hunting for witches. There are many different theories and explanations behind what could have happened during these trials and why the girls acted the way that they did. One of the more controversial theories is the convulsive ergotism theory. Ergot is a fungus that grows on grain and can cause an infection that affects mental and physical well-being. Knowing how it can affect a person's general well-being can help us come to the conclusion that the townsfolk of Salem could…

Words 1044 - Pages 5

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

The aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials was devastating, with 19 innocent Puritans hanged and 5 dying in jail due to harsh conditions. Many theories have been proposed to explain the calamity, but Ergotism is widely regarded as the main cause of the hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts during the trials. This was caused by consuming rye, a staple food source during that period. Ergot is a fungus that grows on grain and can cause horrifying symptoms, including hallucinations, muscle spasms, vomiting,…

Words 770 - Pages 4

Elizabeth Proctor Salem Witch Trial

Witch Trial Analysis: Elizabeth Proctor The Salem Witchcraft Trials took place in 1692, where over 150 men and women were accused of practicing witchcraft. Taking a deeper dive into the trials, focusing specifically on the proceedings of Elizabeth Proctor, we will overall focus on the reasons she was ultimately accused, as well as what factors led to her survival. American author and historian, John Putman Demos, wrote the award-winning book Entertaining Satan, the book contains a chapter that discusses…

Words 2429 - Pages 10

Children In The Salem And Andover Trials

The New England witch trials was a brutal time period that resulted in torture, imprisonments, and executions based on the belief of witches being present among neighbors. Now imagine the youngest individual to go through such trials was a four-year old girl and the horrors she faced. When people often think about children in the Salem witch trials, they think of accusatory girls like Abigail Williams or Mercy Lewis who acted like instigators. While they are right, the children were also accused…

Words 3503 - Pages 15

Essay on Causes of the Salem Witch Trials: Political, Religious and Social

Between the months of June to September of 1692, the infamous witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts resulted in the hanging of 19 men and women; the deaths of five others, including two children, while imprisoned in jail; the pressing to death of an 80-year old man, and the stoning of two dogs for collaborating with the Devil. Hundreds of others faced accusations and dozens more were jailed for months during the progress of the trials. For over three hundred years these events have not only captured…

Words 5020 - Pages 21

Grosvenor's Abortion

with the other sex,” she raises eyebrows. Here, she strikes an optimistic tone, one that describes a time far beyond her own. She claims in both “theory and practice,” women’s interests receive careful attention. But, as the cases of Sarah Grosvenor and Susannah Martin underscore, eighteenth and nineteenth century America’s hesitated to welcome women behind the full shield of constitutional protections.…

Words 1710 - Pages 7

CRM 1301 Midterm uOttawa Carolyn Gordon Essays

order to get rid of the spirits. If that person was still alive, the procedure was successful Witchcraft Correlated with ‘The Crucible’ where Tituba, Sarah Good & Sarah Osborne are accused of witchcraft in Salem, 1692 What to do with the witches?! Exodus 22:18- Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live Leviticus 20:27- A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them. Assumptions…

Words 10213 - Pages 41

Crucible Essay

this, Elizabeth is trying to save John’s name. She wouldn’t have done this unless she truly loved him and their relationship was starting to improve. Especially after what he did to her by sleeping with Abigail Williams. Sadly, this ends in the witch trials continuing, and the eventual death of John Proctor. Lastly, John has a look of desperation when this is happening because he is direly intent on saving Elizabeth from being hung. In Act 4, their relationship is more or less fully recovered.…

Words 2364 - Pages 10