Witches And The Salem Witch Trials - 1676 Words

In January of 1692, the witchcraft hysteria began when a group of young girls became sick after playing a fortune-telling game and began acting strangely. These girls later became known as the â€Å"afflicted girls† (David 12). The afflicted girls, Elizabeth Booth, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mercy Lewis, Betty Parris, Ann Putnam, Jr., Susannah Sheldon, Abigail Williams, Mary Walcott, and Mary Warren are very important people in the Salem Witch Trials. There are conflicting opinions on whether or not witches exist. However, when taking a more in-depth look at the trials, it is very evident that witches in 17th century Salem did not exist; children were accusing people out of boredom, parents were using this as a type of revenge, and the witch tests were unjust. The 17th century Salem witch trials all started when 9-year-old Betty Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams began having fits, including violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming. (Nardo 23) William Griggs, a local doctor, diagnosed the girls with bewitchment and immediately following their diagnostic other young girls in the community began exhibiting similar symptoms. This shows that it wasn’t until the other girls found out that Abigail and Betty have been bewitched that they started to have similar symptoms. Shortly after the girls began to name people that they believed were bewitching them, these women were, Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn, and a slave named Tituba. Soon after, Tituba, Sarah Good, and SarahShow MoreRelatedWitches And The Salem Witch Trials1272 Words   |  6 PagesHistorians called this period the dark time when men and women hunted for witches known as the Salem Witch trials. European descents brought them the belief in witches and the d evil. These beliefs that they believed in so much were from the teaching of the catholic church. During the seventeenth century, people were executed for being believed they were witches and followers of Satan. Most of these executions were performed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Mainly all of the accused victims were womenRead MoreThe Witches Of Salem Witch Trials1371 Words   |  6 PagesMrs. Tammen Salem Witchcraft Trial Theories In the 1690s â€Å"The â€Å"afflicted† girls [whom] made the accusations were some of the most powerless members of their society† (â€Å"Part II: The Witches of Salem†). Salem Witch Trials quickly became famous and researchers began exploring the multiple possibilities behind the trials. Although many theories were considered, none could explain why so many were accused and hanged. Notably, ergot poisoning was a highly considered theory for the Salem trials. Farming conditionsRead MoreWitches And The Salem Witch Trials1309 Words   |  6 Pageswhat when men and women hunted for witches known as the Salem Witch trials. This time will be forever remembered for the people in the town and the victims and family members of the horrifying time. European descents brought with many of them was the belief in witches and the devil. These beliefs that they believed in so much were from the teaching of the catholic church. During the seventeenth century, people were executed for being believed they were witches and followers of Satan. Most of theseRead MoreThe Witches Of Salem Witch Trials1760 Words   |  8 PagesSalem, Massachusetts, the new English settlement for 17th century Protestants who wanted to purify the Church of England, was and is known for the atrocity that rattled the land. This atrocity, or The Salem Witch Trials, began around 1692, several years after the Puritans settled in Salem. During the Trials, an absurd amount of women, men, and even dogs were accused of being possessed by the Devil, thus making them perform witchcraft or wizardry on both townspeople and the townspeople’s valuablesRead MoreThe Witches : Salem Witch Trials Of 16922179 Words   |  9 Pagesrole did Tituba s confession to be a witch start the mass hunt for the witches in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692? This investigation will include details on the events that occurred after Tituba’s confession in Salem during 1962 and 1963. It will also include a brief description of society at the time and what societal pressures may have led to this horrific time. The first source that will be evaluated in depth is Stacy Schiff’s book â€Å"The Witches: Salem, 1692†, published in October 2015.Read MoreThe Witches : Suspicions, Betrayals And Hysteria Of The Salem Witch Trials Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Stacy Schiff’s national bestseller The Witches highlights the suspicions, betrayals and hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, the commonwealth of Massachusetts executed five men, fourteen women, and two dogs for witchcraft. One might wonder how and why this Puritan colony became so caught up in this witch frenzy. In this book she is able to paint a clear picture of the panic that occurred among the people of Salem. â€Å"In three hundred years, we have not adequately penetratedRead MoreThe Salem Witches: Real or Imagined?1289 Words   |  5 Pages The Salem Witches: Real or Imagined? The Salem Witch Trials began because of a mysterious illness contracted by 11-year old Abigail Williams and her cousin Betty Paris (Burgan). Instead of looking for a logical explanation, the community immediately jumped to the conclusion that witches caused the girls curious behavior. Doctors commonly would diagnose an unknown illness as witchcraft, rather than looking for other explanations (Wolfinger). Erot of Rye, which causes severe contortions and hallucinationsRead MoreThe Hunt For Witches By William Golding1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe Hunt for Witches In 1692, Puritans practiced purity, worked hard and believed that God was the center of everything. The children were to be obedient to their parents and follow the ways of â€Å"pureness† outlined before them. They were to serve God and not participate in any form of witchcraft. The Puritans believed that anything that happened was either an act of God or the devil. However, the children loved the stories told by Tituba, a Barbadian slave, belonging to Reverend Parris and dancingRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials : A Time Of Chaos And Panic Essay1676 Words   |  7 Pages The Salem Witch Trials were a time of chaos and panic. It began in 1692 in Salem Village, Massachusetts. Three girls named Elizabeth (Betty) Parris, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam began acting strange. They uttered odd words and sounds, threw things and had trance-like states. People were terrified and they didn’t know what to do. The fact that the girls had been playing a fortune telling game bef ore the strange behavior didn’t help the cause. After Reverend Parris (Elizabeth’s father) performedRead MoreSalem Witch Trials1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a series of trials in which twenty-four people were killed after being accused of practicing witchcraft. These trials were caused by different social climates of the area including the very strong lack of a governor, the split between Salem Village and Salem Town, and the strict puritan lifestyle during the time period. Tituba, the black slave, was a foreigner from Barbados. Her role in society was to take care of Mr. Parris’s family. Tituba’s situation contributed