One of the most famous cases of witchcraft took place within the British colonies in 1692. They were located in Salem, Massachusetts and were appropriately named: The Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials were a unique part of American history, that brought fear, dishonesty, and death over a small, religion-based community for over a year. When examined deeply, several instances of underlying conflict reveal the reasons for why such an event happened. The end result of these trials took the lives of over twenty, and over one hundred and fifty victims were accused (Latner 138). Nevertheless, The Salem Witch Trials continue to spark fascination and investigation across all audiences. However, in order to truly understand the events that took place, the victims accused of witchcraft need to be
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The victims accused of committing witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials were primarily women. Basic Demographics show that 74% of the accused were women (Demos 1315). This is due to gender roles that were established by the Puritans in the colonies. There were numerous double standards within the trials that made women more susceptible to being accused of witchcraft. For example, women were often accused of sexual relations with the devil, but men were never questioned about it. Furthermore, it was ultimately up to the ministers, magistrates, juries, and local authorities to determine the final outcome of the accused witches, rather than the accusers, who are mostly female. This is because strictly men held these positions. Therefore, they had more power and it was exerted over the women accused (Karlsen 49). As a result, since women during this time held significantly less power and respect, they were more often accused. However, there is more to be considered when looking at the Salem Witch Trials. The victims accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch Trials were primarily middle aged, married women with no economic power; they were targeted due
The victims accused of committing witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials were primarily women. Basic Demographics show that 74% of the accused were women (Demos 1315). This is due to gender roles that were established by the Puritans in the colonies. There were numerous double standards within the trials that made women more susceptible to being accused of witchcraft. For example, women were often accused of sexual relations with the devil, but men were never questioned about it. Furthermore, it was ultimately up to the ministers, magistrates, juries, and local authorities to determine the final outcome of the accused witches, rather than the accusers, who are mostly female. This is because strictly men held these positions. Therefore, they had more power and it was exerted over the women accused (Karlsen 49). As a result, since women during this time held significantly less power and respect, they were more often accused. However, there is more to be considered when looking at the Salem Witch Trials. The victims accused of witchcraft during the Salem witch Trials were primarily middle aged, married women with no economic power; they were targeted due