Magic

In the annals of American religious history, spiritualism sits uncomfortably alongside fundamentalism and other conventional forms of religion that command largest portion of scholars’ attention. Ann Braude’s Radical Spirits was one of the first narratives written that documents this important but slighted movement. To the surprise of both nineteenth-century observers and contemporary scholars alike, spiritualists were consumed by the prospect of communication with the dead. Braude provides…

Try Rosalyn Schanzer’s Witches!The absolutely true tale of disaster in Salem. This happened in 1690. There religion was Puritan which was not a flashy religion. The trials were not fair because of the use of spectral evidence, the defendant's prosecution, and the the use of false evidence. The trials were not fair because of the defendant's prosecution. Everyone who was a defendant in that court before spectral evidence was banned was condemned to death. The defendants were always presumed…

Introduction In 1663, Brunswick, Germany was “swamped with refugees [which led to] overcrowding, brought disease and exacerbated outbreaks of the plague” compounded by multiple bad winters which caused additional social stress, anxiety, and hardships (Morton & Dähms, 2006, p. xv). Brunswick was a “fortified, medium city [that was] “predominately Protestant” of practicing Lutherans (Van Heyst, n.d., p. 113). Religion, “popular beliefs and common social characteristics of witches…[which] were…

The Devil wears Prada. As the saying goes, the demonic figure does not take the form of a scary, disfigured being but uses a disguise (such as high-fashion) to hide their desires. The people of Salem are portrayed the same way. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the powerful role of female characters such as Abigail Williams, Tituba and Mary Warren portray their own example of McCarthyism, proving that their actions shape the plot of the play. Abigail Williams plays the role of accuser as she uses…

Background Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, also known as the “Lady Al-Qaeda,” is a mother of three, trained neuroscientist and a legend in the world of terrorism. As the only female to have been placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list, Siddiqui’s case has been shrouded in secrecy, intrigue and conspiracies. Throughout the many articles, court records and stolen diplomatic cables, it is difficult to understand what is fact or fiction or to pinpoint when and if her radicalization occurred. “The US…

In the early 17th century names like Francois Viete and Bartholomeo Pitiscus were still ringing through the mathematical community’s ears. Viete had blown everyone away with his book Canon Mathematicus in 1579. The book contained a collection of trigonometric formulas and tables. Viete was also responsible for trisecting an angle and the construction of the regular pentagon. Bartholomeo Pitiscus had coined the term trigonometry in the title of his 1595 book, Trigonometria. This book was split…

The Consequence of Silence When society is crippled with fear, people tend to remain in silence. Speaking out can lead to saving a life or to your own demise, which paralyzes those who are cognizant of the truth. As a result, lives are gone in vain. Therefore, speaking up when one knows the truth is righteous. Silence has been a destructive mistake resulting in many misfortunes, especially in the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. With no one opposing the accusers, those…

During the time of the Salem Witch Trials, many things led to the hangings of females who were accused to have practiced witchcraft. The beliefs and values of the people in this time period led them to believe that witchcraft was real and that it was the devil’s work. Dubbed heresy by Pope Innocent VIII. (Salem Witch Trials History Channel Video) The punishment of such a thing was death, and so started the hangings. Those accused were mostly women, but some men were convicted and executed as…

When abnormal events started taking places during the late 1500s and early 1600s, many early Puritans associated it with the Anti-Christ's work and deemed it as demonic and sinister. Witchcraft then became illegal since 1563 and hundreds of innocent women were wrongly accused and punished. This kind of event also took place in a small town in Salem, Massachusetts where a collection of girls fell ill and it was not long before the girls, and many other residents of Salem began to accuse other…

TIMELINE. Of the Salem Witch Trials From 1623 -1692 1623-24— The Fishing settlement was established. 1692— The Daughter and the Niece of reverend Samuel Parris become ill. ~~ William Griggs (Doctor) thought the illness was witchcraft. Which led to the hanging of nineteen men and women accused of witchcraft. ~~ People in Salem had a strong thought that the devil often possessed them. ~~ They filled prison full of people (about 150 people) Who were also, accused of witchcraft. June 1692 – meeting…