Salem Witch Trials Essay -- essays research papers fc

Many of the American colonists brought with them from Europe a belief in witches and the devil. During the seventeenth century, people were executed for being witches and confederate of Satan. Most of these executions were performed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Mostly all of the accused were women, which makes some modern historians believe that the charges of witchcraft were a way of controlling the women who menace the power of the men. During the witchcraft trials, hundreds of arrests were made, and some were even put to death on Gallows Hill (Karlsen 145). In 1698, the villagers of Salem won the right to establish their induce Church. They chose the Reverend Samuel Parris as their minister. Many of the villagers were then sorry that they had done so because of his harsh demands. They then vowed to force him out. There was much pressure surrounding the Parris family. The children of the family would keep themselves by listening to stories told by Tituba, their slave (Nati onal Geographic). January of 1692 is when the mass hysteria of the Salem witch trials first began. The Puritans of this time were very harsh, unyielding, and quick to judge. They condemned innocent women on the foundation garment of intangible evidence, confessions, and such things as "witchmarks" (Hill). As Dorcas Hoar said, "I will speak the truth as long as I live" (Salem inhabitation Page). Nine year old Betty Parris and eleven year old Abigail Williams, the daughter and niece of Reverend Parris, were the first to start to display signs of strange behavior. Some of this behavior include profane screaming, convulsive seizures, trance-like stages, and unexplainable animal-like noises. Shortly after this, other Salem girls began to demonstrate this same behavior. (Salem infrastructure Page). The girls torment "could not possibly be Dissembled", say Cotton Mather (National Geographic). Unable to determine any physical cause for the symptoms and behavior, doctors concluded that the girls were under the influence of Satan. Prayer Services and community fasting were organized by the Reverend Samuel Parris in hopes of relieving the evil forces that supposedly plagued the community. Efforts to expose the witches were also performed. The first three women to be identified as the source of the problem were Tituba, an Indian slave, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osbor... ...ace. eld went by, and apologies were given and restitution was also given to the families. This incident in American history has left a great impression on present daytime lives. Bibliography Armstrong, Karen/ Hill, Frances. A Delusion of Satan. The Full Story of the Salem fascinate Trials. peeled York Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishers, 1995. Ashley, Leonard R.N. The Devils Disciples. New York Barricade Books Inc., 1996. Briggs, Robin. Witches & Neighbors. New York Penguin Books Ltd.,1996. Brown, Richard D. Massachusetts, A History. New York W.W.Norton and Company, Inc., 1 978. Ferres, John H. (Ed.) 20th Century Interpretations of The Crucible.Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1972. Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman. New YorkVintage Books, 1987. The Salem Home Page. The Salem Witch Trials 1692. www. salemweb. com/memorial/. September 25, 1998. Famous American Trials. Petitions Relating to the Trials of Rebecca Nurse. www. law. umkc. Edu /faculty /projects /ftrials/ salem/ ASA_ LETT.htm American Fanaticism. Witch Hunts and Special Persecutions. www.rjeib.com/thoughts/puritan.html Salem Witch Hysteria. Salem Witch Trials. Salemnationalgeographic.com