Brennyn Mackey 2 May 2011 The Secret War of Salem Exposing the Culprit behind the Mass Hysteria The Salem Witch Trials were a series of infamous events that demand an explanation for their occurrence. The trials that took place in 1692 caused neighbors in the community of Salem Village in the colony of Massachusetts to turn on one another out of paranoia‚ accusing one another of witchcraft. According to Carol Karlsen‚ a longtime author of the subject‚ nineteen people were hanged
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Many men and women were persecuted‚ tortured‚ burnt and even killed because they were believed to be witches under the devil’s control. In this essay I will talk about what witchcraft was‚ who was accused of practicing it‚ the social response in Salem and what social and religious factors are given to account for the harsh response to witchcraft. The direct definition of witchcraft is the use of supernatural or magical powers. It was often believed that these powers were under the direct influence
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According to the Europeans‚ “a witch was a person who committed a crime using harmful magic.” The Salem Witch Trials occurred in Salem Massachusetts from February 1692 to May 1693. The Witch Trials did not happen due to what some originally might think. There were more reasons for the brutality and carelessness of the trials than just witchcraft. When the colonists came over to the New World‚ they were unfamiliar with the terrain‚ weather‚ and soil. These factors made it so colonists were unable
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Theory of the Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials were a dark time in the history of America. There were people killed for being a “witch”. Whether they were or not‚ they tested them with various ways of torture. From being hung‚ to being tied to a rock and thrown in a lake; if they survived‚ they were a witch‚ if they died‚ they weren’t. The Puritans came up with many different theories of witchcraft for various problems. Whether it was for the weather‚ lack of crop growth‚ or if someone
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guilty. Although of what crime depends on the time period of the aforementioned case‚ for trials such as these have occurred in American History not once but twice. The first began back in the 1600’s in a little town known as Salem Massachusetts‚ where people were killed for crimes of witchcraft. The second instance‚ while not quite as known for bestowing rigor mortis still put ruin on the lives of many. Trials in the 1950’s fueled by McCarthyism and the idea that communism was invading the United
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Lyle Koehler argues that the Salem Witch Trials began due to witch hysteria caused by the fits of the young women being affected by witchcraft. They were given power to accuse the witches and used their power to attack their oppressing forces‚ such as authority figures. The act of accusing people of being witches was a scapegoat in order gain and retain power in a situation where people felt powerless. They also targeted nontraditional women as they were easier to justify. Many people were accused
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Dress Code: A Risk or Benefit? By: unknown Dress code has been the biggest topic between the Board officials and students. The dress code is used to prevent distractions; thus allowing students to come to school and dress with confidence. The Muscogee County School District’s (MCSD) dress code has been an influence to the students and teachers for thirteen years. Since the establishment thirteen years ago‚ the dress code has made many different changes in the dress code. The purpose of the dress
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around god‚ and all who said otherwise would be banished or hanged. The Salem Witch trials arose between this time and lead to an overall uncontrollable and unreasonable set of deaths in Salem. One could argue that the reason for these deaths lied in the hands of the people but in reality the fate of the victims in the Crucible lied with Abigail‚ a young girl in the town of salem who had relations with a well known character in Salem‚ this propels the story towards his eminent death and others ulike.
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Cultivation of Hysteria in The Salem Witch Trials and McCarthy Hearings Mass Hysteria played a role in both the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy hearings affecting the outcome of those who were accused. The dictionary defines Mass Hysteria as a condition affecting a group of persons‚ characterized by excitement or anxiety‚ irrational behavior or beliefs‚ or inexplicable symptoms of illness. In The Salem Witch Trials Abigail Williams proposed that Elizabeth Proctor is a witch and other girls follow with
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In 1692‚ Salem‚ Massachusetts broke out into hysteria all because of an accusation about a witch. When a few teenage girls began accusing the older woman of Salem of witchcraft‚ suspicions started flying around. Soon neighbors were accusing each other‚ calling the Puritan church to get involved. After the church got involved many innocents lost their lives. Most of the teenage girls that accused the women of witchcraft‚ wanted their husbands for land and money. Not that the women did anything to
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