Religious Beliefs Were Behind The Salem Witch Trials

In 1692, the subjects of Salem Massachusetts turned on each other, and blamed hundreds for their own neighbors with Witchcraft. Amid the era of June to September 1692, nineteen individuals were unjustifiably killed after ridiculous trials discovered them liable of demonstrations of Witchcraft. The explanations for the trials themselves are perplexing and multifaceted. Financial matters, religious imperatives, financial class issues, corrupted nourishment supply, property question, congregational quarrels and juvenile young ladies ailing in consideration all remain at the center of the Salem Witch

The central issue at stake for people during the Salem witch trials were a series of hearing and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft. It all started in Salem Village, in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. A man by the name of Richard Godbeer, the author of “The Salem Witch Hunt” and several other books is a professor at the University of Miami. Godbeer’s research and teaching interests center on colonial and revolutionary America. Also, his fields of interest are in gender, sex, witchcraft and religious culture.

During the summer of 1692, 19 women and men were hung in Salem for being accused of having practiced witchcraft. These people were the Puritans, immigrants from England who had come to the United States in search of a land that wasn’t influenced by Protestant Christianity. Being fundamentalists, the Puritans believed that every word of the bible to be the truth, hence, they believed in witchcraft, evil spirits, and the devil. This interpretation of the Bible, though, allowed them to persecute innocent people for being witches that caused havoc in their society. Although there were many, the three main causes of the hysteria in the Salem Witch Trials were the Puritans’ everlasting belief in the Bible, the power of suggestion, as well as the

In 1692 the Puritans, colonists that believed in the bible, settled in America. They believed in witchcraft, and believed that people who study it should be executed. This led to many people being accused and executed. What made the Salem witch trials of 1692 such a threat and fear to the people of Massachusetts? The Salem witch trial hysteria of 1692 was caused by the fear of being possessed by the devil, by the fear of being accused and what your consequences would be, and lastly the belief of people being witches which was a crime worthy of death.

Living as we do in the 20th century, the charges imposed on people throughout New England during the 1680s and 1690s seem preposterous. Any behavior regarded as strange by fellow citizens was sufficient to hold a trial with a sentence of death. Though such scenarios seem unfathomable in our modern culture, it was a reality for hundreds of New England settlers. The causes of the famous outbreak of witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts are rooted in social, economic, and political aspects of the late 17th century Salem community.

It is often difficult to understand the thought process that other people’s might have had many years ago. A college professor and writer, Richard Godbeer attempts to explain the thought process of the people who were involved in witch trials in the year 1692 in his text “How Could They Believe That?”. He often tells students in college and high school that we can relate to how society was in 1692 and how their views on life, and specifically the supernatural forces, are completely justifiable. In this article he explains the social atmosphere, the environment in which the settlers lived in, as well as how thorough the process of persecution was.

It may have been possible to avoid the trials if the citizens of Salem Village had not made such hasty judgments and had possessed more skepticism when everyone suspected witches. Nevertheless, the history of New England is incomplete without the Salem witch trials. “Salem endures not only as a metaphor but as a vaccine and a taunt” (Schiff 413). Encouraged by fear of the devil and losing salvation, the Puritans’ witch paranoia and political disputes helped fuel the trials and the many resulting deaths. Though it started only because of the girls’ ailments, the Salem witch trials exemplify one of the biggest cases of mass hysteria in American

During the time period of 1691 to 1692 the town of Salem, a small thriving community within the Puritan Massachusetts Bay colony, was struck by widespread hysteria in the form of witch trials. The way these trials and accusations played out are historically unlike any other witch trials found in European and American history. Historians have pointed to a number of economic, political, and social changes of the then existing institutions throughout the Massachusetts Bay area to be the cause of the Salem witch trials, along with the direction they took. If studied closely however, it becomes apparent that the main cause for the Salem witch trials can be found in the way the people of Salem viewed and

Witchcraft was a highly widespread phenomenon in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, where in many places people accused of witchery were executed. One specific time period in the late seventeenth century -- in Salem, Massachusetts -- plays as a great example of the harshness in these witch persecutions. As in many cases, some layer, or layers, of political or religious power takes a role in leading to successful execution of accused witches in Salem. Taking a look at Salem, persecutions took place in Salem village, where society was shaped around the ministry of Samuel Parris. This is evident as people supported independence for “Salem village and its church [emphasis mine]” from the town of Salem.

The Salem Witch trials are an infamous moment in American history , portraying old American thought on society and religious belief. Throughout the years, scholars have adopted theories to explain one of America’s greatest mysteries. In light of such theories, it becomes apparent that there is no magic to explain the decisions that the people of Salem made, but was rather fueled by jealousy of economic success and religious misguidance.

During the 1600’s in the United States there was much economic and religious dissention within the Puritan society: a group of English reformed protestants who pursued the Purification of the Church of England. Among these issues, is the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials that prosecuted women to be found worshippers of the devil. The Puritans found the necessity to exercise this crusade in order to stay by their moral codes of conformity which included witchcraft to be the greatest crime, punishable by death. However, the true reasons of the trials was not to simply follow their religious constitutions. It is mainly in part from corruption of religion and how some had used the trials as a form of personal gain, the influences of the attitudes from the strict Puritan lifestyle, the need for unification between the Salem factions, and the society’s fear of evil.

A: To what extent can we say that religious and gender prejudice were major factors that caused the Salem Witch Trials? The Salem Witch Trials was the time period in which the community tried and burned women that were accused of practicing witchcraft. The trials could easily be blamed on the fear of the new type of ‘religion’. The witch trials consisted of mostly only women being tried and accused, it also started with a native american woman. The trials have been perceived as a infamous time in American history because they slaughtered 20 young women, while 200 of them were still accused (Christine Leigh Heyrman). However to an extent we could say that religious and gender prejudice was a major factor of the Salem Witch Trials.

I am writing this report today to explain the major reasons behind the horrific witchcraft trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in the years 1692 and 1693. For years this event has been ignored. However, after analyzing the evidence in this case, I have some startling news to share. First, I will share with you the various theories that make the most sense. Then I will explain what I believe caused the Salem community to respond in such a cruel and violent way.

The Salem Witch Trials is an infamous event due to its bizarre and seemingly hysteric circumstances. Eric Foner contributes this incident to Europe’s growing population as well as the replication of English hierarchical social structure in the colonies. I believe that the established social class influenced the Salem Witch Trials to some extent, but the series of trials and executions were caused more by general social and economic tension in the colonies during the 17th century. Those who lived in Salem during 1692 faced numerous hardships. Work was incessant and exhausting- duties including making clothes, raising livestock, and farming in harsh climates and rough terrain. Most families had to be self-sufficient and upkeep strict Puritan values. A recent smallpox epidemic, growing small-town rivalry, and an influx of political conflict in a colony teetering between governments. The constant threat from nearby Native American tribes also magnified the Puritans’ irrational fear.

The largest outbreak of witchcraft in America took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. A group of girls, including the Parris’s Indian slave Tituba, gathered in the Salem village and were attempting to see the future by decoding “messages”. Shortly after this gathering the girls started showing signs of the possessed (pg. 73). To this day people all over America are still amazed with the events that took place in this time. But why is that? The fear of the village fell heavily onto the judicial system, which later made people focus on the proper separation of government and religious beliefs. Mass hysteria broke out amongst the village and many people were being accused, therefore leading to many innocent deaths. Although there could be many theories as to the reason the witch trials in Salem began, there are two points of view that are very commonly shared amongst people. Some believe that the Salem witch trials were women unconsciously searching for power, whereas others believe it was an encephalitis epidemic.