The Salem witch trials were a very gruesome part of America’s history. The punishments they used to determine whether the person was a witch or nit was inhuman. Basically, these people had two choices. They either would get tortured and confess and be killed or not confess but still die from the torture being brought upon them. The Salem witch trials impacted history in its own way. Torture throughout history can be read and understood, however, it is a different kind of punishment that takes place within these particular trials.
History of the trials
The Salem witch trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Several men and women were accused of witchcraft during the duration of the trials. The trials were held in the church building in front of the judges of the Salem colony. They began in February of 1692 and ended roughly in May of 1693. During these trials there were a main group of accusers were a group of girls. (The Salem Witch Trials) According to Rebecca Brooks in her web article The Salem Witch trials: facts and history she states, “many modern theories suggest the girls were suffering from epilepsy, boredom, child abuse, mental illness, or even a disease brought on by eating rye infected with fungus” ( The Salem witch trials). These girls mostly accused people of low class and poor people. Also they would accuse the outcast of the village. Rebecca Brooks also states in her article that, “although the afflicted girls were the main accusers during the trials, many historians believe that the girl’s parents, particularly Thomas Putnam and reverend Samuel Parris, were egging the girls on and …show more content…
Its history is the impact that it made. They were part of a very dark time here in America. It impacted the way our criminal justice system is shaped. That is a weird thing to say but it’s true. It showed us today how not to do