Salem By Charles W. Upham Summary

of Salem’s residence by Charles W. Upham show a particular pattern between the accusers and the accused, implicating that neighborhood quarrels could have indeed played at least a minor role in these witchcraft accusations.
Another point which Boyer and Nissenbaum address is witchcraft and factionalism. Claiming that Salem was full of settlers whose frustrations had festered over the years, in which they were suspicious of one another and exploding with jealousy. These power struggles and personality differences among the villagers and the towns people was most definitely one of the biggest causes of Salem’s explosion of witchcraft accusations and trials. Did the Puritans of Salem feel as if their social order was so unbalanced and was in need of adjustment? Was there such a great need for them to maintain stability and social order? Were the accusers seeking revenge or retribution on the accused? As the village was divided into two separate communities, there were the people who supported Reverend Parris and the ones who did not. Parris’ opponents paid about 40 percent more village taxes than the others and Parris’ supporters were also supporting the trials. Professors Boyer and Nissenbaum’s arguments definitely …show more content…
This brings one to the conclusion that what they were experiencing in 1692 was an unrecognized outbreak of encephalitis. Studies show there are many shocking similarities between the symptoms reported in Salem 1692 and the encephalitis lathargica pandemic in the early twentieth century. During both occasions young women and children were most susceptible. This could have been an epidemic brought on through mosquito or tick bites in which could have easily been spread through the community, surrounding areas, and to the livestock and wild