Salem Witch Trials
As the Puritans traveled to the New World, they created a society using strict Puritan philosophies. Philosophies which stated that everyone must strive for spiritual perfection and no less would be tolerated. The Puritans believed that witchcraft was one of man's largest spiritual weaknesses. A Puritan's first responsibility was to be at the hands of God at all times. There was no room for sin in the Puritan faith and there was nothing that could be done to undo the wrong-doings of man. It was to be believed that if you were to commit to sin, God could cast you off the Earth at anytime. This was the greatest Puritan concern. In order to regulate what was sinful and what was not, the Puritans created a legal system. The system was bible based but was very biased in favor of the rich and respected Puritans. Puritan prosecutors could literally do anything they wanted in the court room. They were allowed to redirect questions, badger, interrupt, and even hit a witness if they felt like it. Ministers were often times called upon to interpret the reasons and responses of accused witches. Witchcraft has come a long way from many different places. The basis of all the Salem Witc
These trials started controversy because it is obvious that you cannot place a person's life in the hands of accusations and opinions of children. By 1693 it was recognized that incorrect procedures and invalid proofs had been used. This was meant to state that there was probably no such thing as witchery. Most people, however, still believed that witchcraft was reality. Because of this information, the church felt that it was justified to kill all witches that they encountered. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," (Exodus22:18) states the Old Testament. Ministers from nearby communities met in Salem Village "to lead a public day of fasting and prayer, and to question the afflicted girls about what had caused their disturbing behavior" (Linde, 183). Poppets, or voodoo dolls, and potions were used to arrest and try suspected witches. The most popular evidence was "spectral evidence", claims that ghosts of people were tormenting others. The accused sometimes confessed that "spectral images" would waken or attack them. Cotton Mather, one of Salem's clergymen, questioned whether "spectral evidence" should be used in trials (Encarta Online). Court officials disputed his arguments but the trial procedures remained the same. Because of this court and the Salem witch trials, 19 men and women were hung, 17 of which were innocent, one eighty year old man was crushed and two dogs were killed for working with Satan in 1692. The Puritans in Salem had even more reasons to be superstitious. Cotton Mather's "Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions," with its inaccurate encounters with witchcraft, terrified everyone. Also, undeveloped medical techniques, constant food poisoning, and unsanitary conditions killed many Puritans and livestock. These types of deaths were used as evidence for witchcraft in a trial. Within the time of Tituba, Osborne, and Good's trials, many others confessed to seeing strange things. Church-goers and high class people were even confessing to these odd visions. From Mid-March to early April, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Proctor, and Sarah Cloyce were accused of witchcraft. Later Corey, Nurse, and Proctor were placed before Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth, Judge Hathorne, Corwin, and Captain Samuel Sewall. Abigail Hobbs, Bridget Bishop, Giles Corey and Mary Warren were accused. The only one to confess was Hobbs. Bridget Bishop was the first to be found guilty and sentenced to death by the Court Oyer and Terminer on June 2. After her conviction, one of the judges of the Court stepped down from his position stating that her did not like the way things were being dealt with. Bridget was hung in an official execution on June 10 while declaring one last time, "I am no witch. I am innocent. I know nothing of it". (Linde, 12) Sarah Good was a beggar who often got mad at society for not giving her charity. Many people came to the trial and made statements against her. Seven different stories were heard. Susannah Sheldon stated to the court:
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2429
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)
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