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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being a witch then you either blamed it on someone else or plead you were innocent. These trials began overwhelming the justice system. The Salem witch trials were a series of cases brought before local magistrates and the county court of trials in 1692. To understand the events of the Salem witch trials‚ it is necessary to understand that the people in Salem thought differently and lived differently than people from the 21st century. A strong belief in the devil‚ factions among Salem Village
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The witchcraft trials of Salem was a hysteria that swept through the state of Massachusetts; that would change the whole demeanor of the town. It all began when a group of girl; once friends‚ turned delinquents accused a number of women of performing the devils magic causing them to be possessed. Over the time of a year there was an overwhelming amount of accusation of witchcraft. The governor sought out to create a new court‚ calling it the "court of oyer and terminer". In this court is where
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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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The Salem Witch Trials Salem The Salem witch trials and hysteria first began‚ during the spring of 1692‚ when two young girls‚ Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams‚ started having uncontrollable fits that consisted of screaming and contortions. Several other girls‚ such as Mercy Lewis‚ Elizabeth Hubbard‚ and Ann Putnam Jr.‚ from Salem were also diagnosed with similar symptoms. After seeing the local doctor‚ William Griggs‚ he decided on the diagnosis of bewitchment. This lead the people to wonder
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Salem Witch Trials 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
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In February of 1692‚ the Salem Witch Trials began. During this time the community of Salem‚ Massachusetts were Christians who were in constant fear of the Devil. They feared that the Devil was continuously trying to destroy their Christian community. They were isolated in this New World and often frightened because of the thought of the Devil taking over their lives. They were also under a lot of stress‚ trying to make it in the New World‚ which only put more pressure on them. Then the trigger happened
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Fictions of The Salem Witch Trials The idea of witchcraft has been a controversial topic since the begging of time however‚ witchcraft became better known in 1692‚ with the begging of the Salem witch trials. Many stories have been written about the Salem witch trials. Some are found in journals‚ other stories are exaggerated from those journals. The comparison of historical facts and the play the Crucible are the perfect example of an exaggerated actual event. During the Salem witch trials‚ Tituba
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Salem After the Fact Throughout the years‚ many have wondered what happened to Salem after the famous Salem Witch Trials. The recovery period that was necessary after these trials lasted for a quite a while; people were scared and afraid that something along the lines of the trials could occur again. As a result of the trials‚ in the next decade to come apologies were issued publicly‚ and compensation was paid as restitution to the families of those who were affected; much of the cataclysm had settled
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In Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem‚ author Rosalyn Schanzer discusses the outbreak of the Salem witch trials and tells about the murderous colonial period of 1692. The trials took place in Salem‚ Massachusetts when the Puritans of England migrated to New England. The accusations of witches started when two girls began having fits‚ and a doctor tried to use elixirs and everything he could to cure them. He then diagnosed the two girls of being plagued by witches. After these
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