Salem Witch Trials 2
Many American colonists, brought with them from Europe a belief in witches and in the devil. During the seventeenth century, people were executed for being witches and followers of Satan. Most of these executions were performed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Mostly all of the accused were women. This fact makes some modern historians believe that the charges of witchcraft were a way of controlling the women who threatened the power of the men. During the witchcraft trials, hundreds of arrests were made, and some were even put to death on Gallow's Hill (Karlsen 145). In 1698, the villagers of Salem won the right to establish their own Church. They chose the Reverend Samuel Parris as their minister. Many of the villagers were then sorry that they had done so because of his harsh demands. They then vowed to force him out. There was a lot pressure surrounding the Parris family. The children of the family would entertain themselves by listening to stories told by Tituba, their slave. In January of 1692 is when the mass hysteria of the Salem witch trials first began. The Puritans of this time were very harsh, unyielding, and quick to judge. They condemned innocent women on the basis of indefinite evide
The Puritans of Massachusetts were the first to enforce a sense of political correctness. There were led by God, were in charge of the investigations, and created the "witch-hunt" of Salem. From the Spring of 1692 to the Fall of 1692, men and women were tried and convicted of being witches. The new Governor, Sir William Phips, who was sent from England, set up a special Court of Oyer and Terminer to hear and decide the remaining witchcraft cases. Appointed as judges were Lt. Governor William Stoughton, Nathaniel Saltonstall, Bartholomew Gedney, Peter Sergeant, Samuel Sewall, Wait Still Winthrop, John Richards, John Hathorne, and Jonathan Corwin. These men, based their judgments on intangible evidence, such as forced confessions, so called "witchmarks", and reactions of the afflicted girls (Salem Home Page). The first person to be tried in the Court of Oyer and Terminer was Bridget Bishop. She was found guilty and condemned to death. As Bridget Bishop said, "I am no witch. I am innocent. I know nothing of it" (Salem Home Page). Soon after her trial, Nathaniel Saltonstall resigned from the court. He was dissatisfied with the proceedings. After the execution of Bishop, accusations of witchcraft escalated. Many townspeople signed petitions opposing the trials. In a letter written by Governor Phips dated the twelfth of October 1692, he talks about his findings of all the proceeding happening in the town of Salem. He argues that it is too late for him to do anything because it has gotten to be a little out of control. He understood that they were to be put on trial, but the evidence was ridiculous and it had to be stopped. Everyone was sick of the trials, especially the people who were on trial. After receiving a letter from Thomas Brattle, Governor Phips ordered the Court of Oyer and Terminer be closed down and
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1227
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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