The Salem Witch Trials An Outbreak Of Hysteria - 1794 Words

In 1692, Salem village in Massachusetts saw an outbreak of hysteria, most commonly known today as the Salem witch trials. Over a period of several months, more than 200 people found themselves facing suspicions from those around them of witchcraft, with 19 executed, 14 arrested and many others who pleaded guilty pardoned but made social outcasts. Typically, the majority of those living in Salem were Puritans, who regarded all other activity excluding common Puritan practice as sinful distractions, and thus a person who exemplified any sign of witchcraft would face deadly consequences. During the time, witchcraft was commonly known to be enacted by those enslaved by the devil and created a vast fear of the unknown. In terms of†¦show more content†¦This demonstrates how intense the beliefs of the colonists ran, with the slightest inkling that someone was working with the devil causing the colonists to turn on them. Furthermore, from the Salem witch trials, one can learn about the strict religious routines the people of Salem were expected to follow. One of the very first accused, Sarah Osbourne, was known for often skipping church, and thus she was widely unfavoured by the members of the community and considered an outcast. This meant that when people were on high alert about suspects of witchcraft, it was easy for many to get behind the idea of Sarah being a witch as she did not obey the regulations of their beliefs and therefore made it easier for them to convict her as guilty of witchcraft. Overall, the Salem witchcraft trials portray the colonists as highly sceptical of those that did not conform to their religion and beliefs. What shortly follows on from religion is a sense of superstition, and of paranoia. The trials provide vast insight into the colonist thoughts on the supernatural and their ability to conjure up their own theories as to what was causing, at the time, the unexplainable hysteria that broke out among the teenagers. Shortly before the trials, Cotton Mather had published a book called â€Å"memorable Provinces† where he explained strange behaviours of children in Boston that had been subject to witchcraftShow MoreRelatedHistorical Journalism At The Salem Witch Trials863 Words   |  4 PagesHistorical Journalism at the Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials are one of the best known outbreaks of hysteria and fear in American history. This event began when Betty Parris, who was a daughter of Salem’s church’s minister, and Abigail Williams, who was her cousin, experiences several occasions of odd, violent behavior that they blamed on witchcraft. They accused two white women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne, as well as a slave, Tituba, of practicing witchcraft in the village. The threeRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials1748 Words   |  7 PagesThe Salem witch trials were a series of different court trials. They occurred after a group of young girls were claimed to be possessed by the devil. These individuals experienced hallucinations. Some of the suspects explained the attacks as if bugs were crawling under their skin. When the outbreak began to spread, the government proceeded to accuse multiple people in the colony of witchcraft. This is how the Salem witch trials came to be. The trials too k place in colonial Massachusetts. AccordingRead MoreThe Devil Visited Salem Witch Trials1597 Words   |  7 Pagesvisited Salem in 1692, or did he? Nicholas Hytner’s The Crucible depicts the 1692 witchcraft epidemic in Salem, Massachusetts. The film was adapted from a play written by Arthur Miller in 1953. The film’s producers, Robert A. Miller and David V. Picker, released the film along with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation in 1996. 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It is possible to stop mass hysteria from spreading by being able to have powerRead MoreNineteen One Deaths From The Salem Witch Trials847 Words   |  4 PagesTwenty-one deaths from The Salem Witch Trials (Callis) seems to be very minimal when compared to the 620,000 deaths that resulted from the Civil War, however, The Salem Witch Trials seem to stick out significantly in the minds of Americans. Why is this? Today, it is appalling to us that someone would be executed for what only appeared to be â€Å"witchcraft†. Even though there was no credible evidence of it, the majority believed that there was some sort of evil sorcery about them and then commended the