Comparing The Spanish Inquisition And The European Witch Craze

In the 1940s, the Holocaust became one of most famous genocides to this day. Also, the witch hangings in 1600s Salem was another case of people being wrongfully accused and killed. The amount of similarities of the two are apaling. (A Comparison of the Holocaust and the Salem Witch Trials.”2008) Both leaders in these incidents, had enormous control

Have you ever felt belittled by a certain group or been accused of a crime that you didn't commit? Throughout civilization, people were judged base on what religion they were, their nationality, skin color, and the way they look. Have you ever felt like there is no hope so you give up? Although they bear some minor similarities the differences between the Holocaust and the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 are striking. In this essay it will show the tragic events that occurred, how they compare to each other, and how diverse they are.

The Salem Witch Trials were a controversial part of history as many innocent people lost their lives for many reasons, one mostly that the girls pretended to be bewitched so they can get rid of their enemies. The consequences of these events were long lasting as many mysteries of the Trials were uncovered long after. The important topics are on how the girls quite possibly faked being “sick”, which led to the executions in Salem, the mass hysteria and many repercussions after a certain crisis in Colonial America nearly three-hundred and fifteen years ago.

2, I want to use the word "conformity" to explain the chaos and massacres of both events psycologically. Why were there so many innocent people sentenced to death penalty at last? Why did persons who used to be kind become brutal and blinded accused the others? I believe that on one hand, people have a trend to believe something which is believed by the majority, which has driven people in Massachusetts to accuse others of witches without any reasonable evidence and made people in France believe that some people

The Salem Witch Trials remain as a main area of interest for colonial historians, for the very way that actual lives were taken for only the sake of internalized cultural normalities. In fact if one is to look at the way the trials were conducted, it could be said that they highlight the underlying fears and beliefs that the citizens of Massachusetts believed to be completely true. The irrational nature of the trials is best illustrated through the view of the accused witches, whose accusations follow a distinct pattern of having past conflict with their accusers. Overall there is also a repetition of external fears influencing these accusations which culminates in a complex belief of not only demonic powers at work, but present mortal threats being a part of these accused witches plan to bring destruction of the town. The perspective of the accused witches during the Salem Witch Trials, proves Salem was a town rooted in cultural anxiety and interpersonal conflict which eventually imploded into the uncontrollable.

The atmosphere of witch hunts were created through religious teachings and the authorization within the church which cleared any moral ambiguity by condemning female sexuality. This caused women to be persecuted and discriminated against through their sexuality. The concepts of religion, social status and the role in society women played

When you hear witchcraft what comes to your mind? Do you think of witches flying around in brooms? Well back in 1962 a group of girls claimed that they were being possessed. In addition this was the start of The Salem witch trials. This event is Important to America's History Because it was a time Where people thought witchcraft was happening and innocent People were getting P, but in reality it was just mass hysteria. In this event 1962, Salem there were witch hunts leading to persecution, mass hysteria Because of religion, betrayal, and lies.The work presents several important issues, shows a reflection on a submerged society in fear and intolerance, hysteria, power of reflection the role of women, violence that implement, etc., are the

The 1486 Malleus Maleficarum set up the precedent for the witchcraft craze, which came to its prime in the mid 16th century, during the Renaissance period. Though the Malleus was not the only factor in this craze, as Margaret Sullivan notes, ‘it made no discernable impact… for nearly half a century’ , it, with a number of other social factors, provided a wealth of information to witch hunts and hunters. This treatise further established several of the basic ideas essential to the identification of witches such as the identification of witches as largely women; through the treatise’s continual argument that women were of gullible and carnal nature the text further advocated ideas of fear and hatred in regards to women.

The inhumane massacring of the Muslims and Jews and other non Christians caused a deep feeling of bitterness toward European Christians, that lasted many years (Document

Many Americans have little to no knowledge of the Spanish Inquisition; the Inquisition included institutions within the Catholic church whose aim was to “purify” the people of Spain. In The Myth of Race: The Troubling Persistence of an Unscientific Idea, author, Robert Wald says, “The Spanish Inquisition was established to ensure that those of Jewish ancestry were kept apart and out of the mainstream of society.” Wald goes on to say “Although it was mainly directed at Jews, the inquisition also focused on Christianized Muslims.” Even in the 12th century, any religion besides Catholicism

Gendercide Watch: European Witch- Hunts. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2014. <http://www.gendercide.org/case_witchhunts.html>.

In Norman Cohn’s book, Europe’s Inner Demons, his ultimate goal is to explain the development of anti-human conspiracies. He discusses how these “fantasies” were gradually tied to Christians and eventually how they influenced the European witch-hunts. It can be difficult to decipher his exact thesis as his preface itself seems to function as one large thesis. However, his thesis overall seems to be that “the great witch-hunt became possible when these practices and experiences were interpreted in terms of the traditional stereotype of the clandestine, systematically anti-human society.” He proves his thesis by discussing how the tradition began and was tied to early Christians and then discussing its transition and use by later Christians to demonize people and practices they feared or did not understand. He shows how this tradition’s precedence in history was what allowed for it to be used to such great effect during Europe’s witch hunts.

For decades, opposing perspectives of different people and groups has led to contention in society. In communities around the world, this contention has built up fear and prejudice. However, as conflict is an inevitable part of any society, it can be expected to develop 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 today's 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 “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 trials ended in 1693. Overall, the three main groups involved in this important colonial event were the accused, the accusers, and the judges.

Although the Spanish Inquisition does not start until around 1480, it has its roots in the late fourteenth century. Anti-Semitism began in the fourteenth century during a period of plague and economic hardship in Europe. The resulting violence and hatred along with campaigns to get Jews to convert to Catholicism persuaded many Jews to convert. However, these New Christians once again became the object of hatred because it was believed that many of them were faking being Christian and still practicing Judaism. It was during this period that the Spanish Inquisition began. The Inquisition’s main goal was to rid Spain of all Jews in an effort to keep the New Christians from reverting back to their Jewish ways. Disregarding the fact that the inquisition was completely immoral, it was successful in ridding Spain of Jews and the uniting the country in Catholicism; but, the goal was also to end anti-Semitism, and the inquisition only strengthened and extended the reign of the anti-Semitic ideology.