Society.
How could an entire village, including scholars, believe in witchcraft? While the Puritan culture’s strong Christian beliefs did dictate the behaviour of New England society, for the authorities that instigated the Witch Trials, religion was a mere justification for their actions that allowed them to gain support by instilling in the masses the fear of a higher power. The thought of witches being in their presence terrified them. Were these trials justified? The massive witchcraft hysteria at Salem which resulted in the hanging executions of many was particularly notable for not only its scope, but also for its origins. The Salem witch trials are one of the most notorious and well known trials in American history. The Salem Witch Trials occurred as an effect of the lack of knowledge people had, their strong belief in religion, as well as the presence of forceful leadership in Salem. The mass hysteria that gripped Salem Village and provoked such extreme behavior was caused by a combination of religious, political, and economic conditions prevalent in … Witch hunts had been a fairly common occurrence in Europe, but were becoming less frequent by 1692. Salem Village had a very colorful history before the famous witch trials. The trials began during the spring of 1692, and the last of them ended in 1693. The Social Psychology of the Salem Witch Trials
The first trial in Salem to catch the attention of the people was in 1688. The town’s physician determine that the three girls were under, Witch craft has been studied for hundreds of years and authors are still finding more and more information In Carlo Ginzburg’s work, The Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century, he attempts to locate the origin of the of the benandanti and how they came to be tried in a similar fashion to witches in Friuli, Italy. The trials began during the spring of 1692, and the last of them ended in 1693. Religion. The Salem Witch Trials demonstrated that the moral standards of the time, that religion, and social norms, were more significant than people’s lives. People feared living due to the fact that you just had to irritate one person just enough to where they verbally kill you by calling you a witch, later being hanged in front of the town, created the culture of Salem. What caused this conflict to erupt? There were four Boston children “possessed” by the mother of their family’s servant. In Salem, fears of witchcraft perpetuated by popular writings were personified when two girls were said to be bewitched. Their true motives lay in the political and social issues of the time, with Salem Town’s division due, The Salem Witch Trials were a series of accusations, trials, and executions based on the supposed outbreak of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. The residents who wished to remain a part of Salem Town were economically tied to its thriving, rich harbors. Many historians have tried to explain the causes of the Salem witch trials. Those who wanted to remain a part of Salem Town were typically located on the eastern side of Salem Village--closest to Salem Town. These accounts vary both in their, What in your view was the short term significance of Michael Collins history coursework, Lab#3 Separation of a Mixture of Solids Essay. What makes these trials so notorious is the fact that they were so greatly influenced by the society in which they took place. In her paper, Oster points out that the most active era of witchcraft trials in Europe and other places coincided with a 400-year period of lower-than-average temperatures. And while there were countless other witchcraft trials, Salem's trials remain the best-known. The haunting story is well known in America, taught to our youth and has been the focus of numerous forms of media. Politics. Society. 9 (2003): 936, issn: 0306-8293, doi:1108/03068290310487513; Spanos, ‘Ergotism and the Salem witch panic,’ 366–367. The government and religious views of today, are less worried about the idea of some one's potential of becoming a witch indulging in the practice of witch craft. Although much controversy was discussed, there are multiple reasons to why these trials occurred. Religious Aspects . 1-888-302-2840 1-888-422-8036 Religion. Salem Village was divided along religio-political lines as well as economic lines. America has benefited from this because of the political and religious social aspects. Religion was an important element of Puritan society, and played a major role in all aspects of colonial life. The causes of the Salem Witch Trials occurred due to strict religious codes, injustice of social equality within the society, a chaotic economy Stresses other than religious devotion and politics, ... On March 19, 1692, Abigail had accused Rebecca Nurse, a devoutly religious woman, of being a witch and of asking her to become a witch by signing the Devil’s book. Home. The cause of the hysteria, the reaction to it, and the way in which the trials were conducted can be traced back to Puritan religious beliefs, which determined the operations of the government, and to political and social tension in the colony and the community of Salem. How were the politics and citizenship of this period handled and was it handled correctly? ↩ In 2004, Harvard graduate Emily Oster suggested this theory in her senior thesis. Witchcraft was something very new in the colonies. Her last name was Glover. While more contemporary examples of such circumstances include concepts such as McCarthyism, it is generally accepted that the most classic example of all such social tragedies based on fear and ignorance is that of the colonial era's Salem Witch Trials. Were these trials justified? We are familiar with the story but unfamiliar with the origin of its beginnings. The causes of the Salem Witch Trials occurred due to strict religious codes, injustice of social equality within the society, a chaotic economy More than two hundred people were accused. The Causes . The witch-trials emerged i… “In 17th century New England witchcraft was a serious crime (Background Essay).” Two girls aged nine and 11, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, identified a slave name Tituba and two other local women as witches. The Economic and Social Causes of The Salem Witch Trials. The following essay on these causes and the events surrounding the Salem witch trials of 1692 is divided into four sections: 1) Salem Politics 2) Cold Winter Days 3) Salem Witchcraft 4) Aftermath. This saga started with three girls Elizabeth Parris, Abigail Williams, and Ann Putnam a neighborhood friend. The Puritan belief system linked directly to ideas of the devil infiltrating the daily lives of people through evil magic and possession. The Salem Witch Trials leave a big impact on the history of the Massachusetts Bay\ colony. This led to a series of hangings and accusations made by the Puritans. The Salem Witch Trials During these trials, hundreds of people were accused of witchcraft, the practice of magic. In less than six months, 19 men and women were hanged, 17 innocents died in filthy prisons, an 80-year old man was crushed to death, and two dogs were stoned to death for collaborating with the Devil (Richardson 6). The Salem Witch Trials took place in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. And while there were countless other witchcraft trials, Salem trials remain the best-known. This is a result of the lack of separation between Church and State in Massachusetts colonial society. (Donohue) “An individual is subjected to a more powerful control when two or more persons manipulate variables having a common effect upon behavior”. The main factors that started and fueled the trials were politics, religion, family feuds, economics, and the imaginations and fears of the people. Hundreds of others faced accusations and dozens more were jailed for months during the progress of the trials. However, in Salem, accusations and resentment would be felt for years to come. This greatly affected the general wellbeing of the society and made it difficult for this village to prosper both socially and economically. 22 March 2014
The Economic and Social Causes of The Salem Witch Trials Various reasons have been documented to explain why the Salem immediately exploded into different illusions of demonic interference and witchcraft. For over three hundred years these events have not only captured the general publics' imagination, but that of the academic community. ...Amanda Whitsett
Multiple cases of religious persecution occurred in Europe, often involving men and women accused of worshipping the devil.
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