Abigail Williams's Execution Essay: The Salem Witch Trials

In the village of Salem an envious girl, Abigail Williams and her followers started what was one of the greatest mass hysteria of the time. Abigail, a very selfish and manipulative liar, was found dancing in the forest with a group of other young women and this is what sparked it all. After the incident, many of the villagers began to think the girls were possessed with the devil. The accused girls then began to confess to being possessed and started to accuse other villagers of being witches. Some villagers saw the accusations as an opportunity to accuse other villagers so they could gain something from it. The accusations only lasted a year until it was over. The result was the Salem Witch Trials, by the end a total 200 people were accused …show more content…
After the incidents many individuals became concerned that the church had become uncontrollable and corrupt. One reasons that individuals from the village became skeptical of the church was because the church was throwing many individuals into jail for false witch accusations. Villagers began to question the church’s authority and they as a result were questioned for being witches or thrown in jail. For example the church would have town meetings and if you were to speak up and question the church’s authority many officials would then begin to believe you were working with the devil. In fact of those many people who were accused 114 were arrested and thrown in various jail. Many were held in the Salem dungeon where many individuals weren’t fed or given water due to the theory that officials would get confessions if accused witches were deprived of food. The incidents of the church’s authority throwing villagers into jail led to 20 deaths, 19 hung and 1 pressed to death by stone. Individuals began to have fear for their church and authority figures. To conclude the Salem Witch trials negatively affected the church and it’s