Throughout history there are few events that have brought as much debate, controversy, and overall curiosity as the Salem Witch Trials did. Although only nine months took place between the first witch accusations and the last, the period of the Salem Witch Trials had a lasting impression on American minds. Three hundred years later and there is still a specific aspect of literature looking to fix blame for the ordeal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony witchcraft trials. In some ways, the very fact that interest in this event has spanned across both time and disciplines makes the trials worthy of study. Historians are still debating why the Salem Witch Trials have made such an impact on American culture. These aspects take the key concepts such
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It all began when two girls, Elizabeth, age 9, and Abigail, age 11 of the town began preforming rituals with one of slaves, Tituba. During these rituals it was said Tituba would teach the girls about fortune telling. After a few weeks of these secret meetings, the two girls were struck with sudden sickness and disturbing symptoms, ranging from hallucinations, to fevers, to screaming fits. After calling in a doctor the result was clear, the girls were bewitched. Puritans believed that to become bewitched, a witch cast a spell on the individual, meaning the girls could not have brought this condition onto themselves. The girls began being questioned and forced to name the witches who casted spells on them. The trials began as the young girls started to name more and more members. There were five types of trials given to determine if one was cursed. The first was a simple test, such as having to recite the Lords Prayer. Although it seems simple, some girls who attended the trial had screamed and withered on the floor. The second was based off of physical evidence, such as birthmarks, moles, and other blemishes Satan could have used to enter a body. The third was a witness testimony; anyone who was able to attribute his or her misfortune to the sorcery of an accused person might help get a conviction. The fourth, spectral evidence stated the accused witch’s spirit appeared to the witness in a dream or vision. Lastly, a confession was viewed to many as the only way out. No one who confessed was executed, and instead threw themselves at the mercy of the town and promised to repent (Witchcraft in Salem). By the end of the trials in 1963, nearly 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft; twenty of those were executed, many faced jail time, but all were “wickedly, maliciously,
It all began when two girls, Elizabeth, age 9, and Abigail, age 11 of the town began preforming rituals with one of slaves, Tituba. During these rituals it was said Tituba would teach the girls about fortune telling. After a few weeks of these secret meetings, the two girls were struck with sudden sickness and disturbing symptoms, ranging from hallucinations, to fevers, to screaming fits. After calling in a doctor the result was clear, the girls were bewitched. Puritans believed that to become bewitched, a witch cast a spell on the individual, meaning the girls could not have brought this condition onto themselves. The girls began being questioned and forced to name the witches who casted spells on them. The trials began as the young girls started to name more and more members. There were five types of trials given to determine if one was cursed. The first was a simple test, such as having to recite the Lords Prayer. Although it seems simple, some girls who attended the trial had screamed and withered on the floor. The second was based off of physical evidence, such as birthmarks, moles, and other blemishes Satan could have used to enter a body. The third was a witness testimony; anyone who was able to attribute his or her misfortune to the sorcery of an accused person might help get a conviction. The fourth, spectral evidence stated the accused witch’s spirit appeared to the witness in a dream or vision. Lastly, a confession was viewed to many as the only way out. No one who confessed was executed, and instead threw themselves at the mercy of the town and promised to repent (Witchcraft in Salem). By the end of the trials in 1963, nearly 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft; twenty of those were executed, many faced jail time, but all were “wickedly, maliciously,