The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 Lies. Pain. Death. The Salem Witch Trials were a horrible time for many innocent people; to the way it started, to the way it ended. There were more than 200 accusations of witchcraft, 20 executions and many other deaths due to starvation and bad treatment in jails. This event marked Massachusetts’s history, by its atrocious and dreadful history.
1. The Beginning
The Salem Witch Trials started in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, when a group of young girls started showing a bizarre and abnormal behavior. “The tight-knit community was at a loss to explain the convulsive seizures, blasphemous screaming, and trance-like states that afflicted the youngsters. The physicians called in to examine the girls could find no natural cause of the disturbing behavior” (The Salem Witch Trials, 1692). Since people in this time period were very religious, hysteria and speculation started going around. “If the source of the affliction where the trials took place was not attributable to a physical malady, the community reasoned that it must be the work of Satan. Witches had invaded Salem” (The Salem Witch Trials, 1692). Consequently, the town was horrified and wanted an answer.
2. The Trials “The girls were pressured to reveal who in the community controlled their behavior” (The Salem Witch Trials, 1692). …show more content…
Even with the witch trials over, many were still in jail because they could not pay for their release. Unless the prisoners or someone else could pay for these expenses, they could not be freed. Additionally, those who were convicted of witchcraft had their property confiscated by the government. This left their families without money and, in some cases, a home” (Sutter, Tim). In conclusion, these trials were devastating, leaving many innocent people without a home, in jail, or to die locked up. Also, this historical event shows how lies and hatred can cause suffering to innocent
1. The Beginning
The Salem Witch Trials started in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, when a group of young girls started showing a bizarre and abnormal behavior. “The tight-knit community was at a loss to explain the convulsive seizures, blasphemous screaming, and trance-like states that afflicted the youngsters. The physicians called in to examine the girls could find no natural cause of the disturbing behavior” (The Salem Witch Trials, 1692). Since people in this time period were very religious, hysteria and speculation started going around. “If the source of the affliction where the trials took place was not attributable to a physical malady, the community reasoned that it must be the work of Satan. Witches had invaded Salem” (The Salem Witch Trials, 1692). Consequently, the town was horrified and wanted an answer.
2. The Trials “The girls were pressured to reveal who in the community controlled their behavior” (The Salem Witch Trials, 1692). …show more content…
Even with the witch trials over, many were still in jail because they could not pay for their release. Unless the prisoners or someone else could pay for these expenses, they could not be freed. Additionally, those who were convicted of witchcraft had their property confiscated by the government. This left their families without money and, in some cases, a home” (Sutter, Tim). In conclusion, these trials were devastating, leaving many innocent people without a home, in jail, or to die locked up. Also, this historical event shows how lies and hatred can cause suffering to innocent