The Salem Witch Trials In The 1600's

Salem is famous for the Witch Trials in the 1600’s. The Puritans had very strict beliefs concerning witchcraft. The punishment for witchcraft was a capital offense, punishable by death. Many residents of Salem were hanged because they had no substantial evidence to prove their innocence. All who were accused of witchcraft had a chance to confess guilt and ultimately escape death. Although confession seemed to be a viable option, for many it was not. After admission of guilt, the people who confessed were no longer considered to be Puritans. The aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials left the town’s residents with regret and heartbreak for the injustice that occurred. The Puritanical beliefs in Salem were to blame for the killing of innocent people because …show more content…
Witchcraft was one of the greatest crimes to commit during this time period. The puritans believed that, “Satan was as real as God and he would select the weakest individuals --women, children, and the insane-- to carry out his will” (Life in Salem 1692). Satan was believed to choose weak people to sign a contract with him and those who did were considered witches. Women were considered inferior to men in Puritanical society which made them very easy to accuse. The accusations used against most of the accused were crazy and made no logical sense, but since women were inferior and most of the people the devil used were inferior they were the perfect targets. The Puritans also believed that, “God would punish individuals for sinful behavior, those who would experience misfortune were believed to deserve it” (Life in Salem 1692). When a Puritan’s neighbor would suffer the neighbor who was not suffering did not help in any way because the punishment was seen to be Gods