Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Hysteria
The harsh cold winters in Salem, Massachusetts brought inevitable boredom; especially for teens. Present day winters are filled with cuddling up to the television or playing video games, but finding something interesting to do in Salem winters was more than difficult; the year 1692 changed all of that. The Salem Witch Hysteria brought sheer terror through out the town as well as surrounding towns. Men and women were being accused of being witches and wizards based on spectral evidence given by a group of girls that started it all. There are many plausible theories as to why this incident can be deemed a hysteria such as sheer boredom and teen angst, women’s roles in the Puritan society, and fear.
Reverend Samuel Parris’ family was comprised of his wife, daughter Betty, niece Abigail, and West Indian slave Tituba. Abigail’s parents passed away and as a result the Puritan community did not accept her because she was an outsider. There was little for the girls to do because they did not attend school due to their house duties. They were expected to tend the house and nothing more. Betty, Abigail, and some friends would sneak out to find Tituba so they could hear her fascinating stories. In Tituba’s spare time she liked to tell fortunes and practice magic; it was apart of her culture in her homeland of Barbados. The girls in the Parris household heard many of the reverend’s sermons preaching bad and evil; however, they got different stories from Tituba. Enchanting them with her stories Tituba would tell tales of black magic. Even though some of the girls were fearful of what they were hearing, they continued to tune in. According to Alan L. Lockwood’s theoretical analysis of the Salem witch hysteria, the girls would “at times fall into a trance, at times crawling around barking like a dog, at times having convulsive fits.” When the girls allegedly became bewitched they began to accuse people who their families had disputes with. “The girls became celebrities. People in other towns brought them in to identify any witches who might be haunting in their areas.” They could be thought of as local celebrities and the girls did not want to give up their fame because they were finally getting attention.
Carol F. Karlsen theorizes that the reason for the numerous amount of women being accused is their role in the infamous biblical stories. To the Puritan men Eve, from the biblical story of Adam and Eve, was the perfect witch. Men had much anxiety and felt that the devil worked especially with female sexuality. Seen as inferior, women were expected to play a subservient role to their husbands. It was thought that a woman’s relationship with God was nonexistent without a husband. Widows of high status or property owning women were the perfect ones to accuse because some men were intimidated by their role in society and set out to get them killed (Karlsen). For instance, Bridget Bishop took over a tavern in Salem after her husband passed away. She knew that if she remarried her new husband would take over the business. She was not a regular at church and she owned a business so in the eyes of Puritans she could only be one thing: a witch (ABC-CLIO). Men’s views toward women only confirmed their suspicions of their role in the hysteria.
Fear played a significant role in the actions of the hysteria. Many people feared that witches had plagued the Massachusetts area and the thought ultimately consumed the minds of the people. Many bad harvests were thought to be the work of witches. After Tituba confessed to seeing the names of many Puritan community members in the devil’s book speculation hit an all time high. In Robert Calef’s “New England, Thou Hast Destroyed Thyself” he states that neighbors began to accuse neighbors over petty arguments. The fact that the head of the Puritans, Reverend Parris, obsessed over the idea of witch craft made it seem all too real to the people of Salem. If you were convicted there was a fear to confess or not to confess. It was believed that confessing to being a witch meant life could be spared. Also, if a confession was made property was taken and families were on the streets. Many were so caught up in the fear they started to believe that they were actually witches.
The tragic events of 1692 took 19 innocent lives. It forced America at the time to take a stern look at its justice system. Many historians such as Alan L. Lockwood, Carol F. Karlsen, and Robert Calef have tried to thoroughly explain this chaos. Amongst the many theories teen angst and boredom, women’s roles, and fear explained a confusing time. Just imagine, being called on the witness stand accused of being apart of a world you had no idea about.
Works Cited

"The Salem Witch Scare: Need To Know." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2012.
The American Nation: A History of the United States, Single Volume Edition, Primary Source Edition
Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England. New York: Norton, 1987. Print.
Lockwood, Alan L. Madness in Massachusetts. N.p.: Colonial Era, n.d. Print

Cited: "The Salem Witch Scare: Need To Know." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. The American Nation: A History of the United States, Single Volume Edition, Primary Source Edition Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England. New York: Norton, 1987. Print. Lockwood, Alan L. Madness in Massachusetts. N.p.: Colonial Era, n.d. Print