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The Salem Witch Trials Essay

Decent Essays

The Salem Witch Trials, taking place between February 1692 and May 1693, arose from a period of mass hysteria regarding witchcraft. The puritanical society of New England emphasized a need for a Bible-based society, which caused a fear of the supernatural and gave rise to the false accusations of “witches.” With testimonies of witches rooted in the Old Testament, the idea of witchcraft eventually made its way into the superstitious and everyday Puritan life, and was fueled by the rejection of the group during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The intense paranoia among the Puritans eventually led the group to go as far as even setting their own people on fire may be accounted for by the rejection of the religion itself. They were considered …show more content…

Puritan teachings were influenced by Calvinist theology, leading to the “dismissal of idolatry and a focus on images drawn from scripture and everyday life.” The Puritans stressed the importance of community, as it was centered on the church and members were encouraged to report the sins of others in order to keep the community pure as a whole. As John Winthrop explained, “the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, explained in his letter written on May 22, 1643:” “Our civil Government is mixt: the freemen choose the magistrates each year and assist [them] in making of laws, imposing taxes, & disposing of lands… Our churches are governed by Pastors, Teachers, ruling Elders & Deacons, yet the power lies in the whole congregation.” The Puritans also had strict attitudes and superstitions that lead to religious extremism and false accusations. They believed in “absolute sovereignty of God” and placed considerable emphasis on scripture. It was “against the law not to attend church” and any other religion was attributed to Satan, whom the Puritans thought had profound influence on the weak individuals in society (women and children). The importance of having a righteous community influenced the Puritans to turn each other in for sinning, causing paranoia among community members. Witchcraft can be described as

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