Mayhem, madness, and chaos are some adjectives that describe the Salem witch Trials era. It was a time of confusion and fear for the thought of witches had invaded the town of Salem. However, there are some scientific explanations for the outbursts. Some theorist believe there was a ergot poisoning epidemic within the town. Consuming a grain of rye that is contaminated ergot fungus can lead to convulsions and hallucinations. This would explain why Abigail and the other girls claimed to see an apparition of the devil and other ghouls. A professor at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute claims that all conditions during the Witch trials make it plausible that the poisoning could have happened. Another theory explaining the Witch Trials is the Cold Weather Theory. …show more content…
This theory is supported by what is known as the Little Ice Age, where the climate during the 14th and mid-19th century were abnormally cold and fell on the same time period as the Great Witch Craze. I believe that the ergot poisoning theory is more plausible than the Cold Weather Theory, I believe this because the side effects of ergot poisoning are known and can be tested even today. Additionally, the village of Salem was more than likely very dependent on the growth and harvest of rye grain. On the other hand, I believe that the Cold Weather Theory could have happened but is less likely to be the whole
Do you want to be hanged because you are practicing witchcraft? The Salem Witch Trial Hysteria happened in the year of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. The story is that the people of Salem, Massachusetts were Puritans. The Puritans thought that they were going to be like a “city upon a hill” which meant they thought that they were going to make it look like they were more perfect than everyone else and they were closer to God. They made it like this because they believed that every word in the Bible was the true word of God and was to be followed to the exact letter of every word.
This evidence helps explain the jealousy and boredom the young girls experienced during this period of time, Another possible cause for the Salem witch trials was that the girls were great liars and
For example, Annika L of the Salem Times states, “A fourth theory is that the girls behavior was caused by physical illness.” Despite the fact that such points could be defended with some logic, most of the support would be weak and loose. On the other hand, it can be concluded that the claim made by this essay is more logical and well supported if anything. All in all, it can be determined that the cause of the Salem Witch Trials was the attempt of Salem citizens to either defend or create family ties and enter or sustain continued community safety within the
In Salem, Massachusetts, Puritans were strong believers in the Bible. The Bible states, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” The Puritans beliefs led to them accusing 20 innocent people of being a witch, this resulted in their deaths in 1692. Even though the Puritans couldn’t see it at the time, their accusations were really based off jealousy, lies, and Salem being divided into two parts. One cause of the Salem witch trial hysteria was jealousy.
many similarities to the affairs that were unfolding around the author at the time of writing, the mass hysteria aroused by the communists ‘witch-hunts’ of cold war, 1950s America. As we follow the harrowing results of released repression, the hysterical accusations of Salem bears direct resemblance to communist McCarthyism as well as other similarities that unfold as the play narrates one of the most tragic periods of American history. Amidst the apparently insipid, puritanical village of Salem there was little controversy due to its populations consent to theocratic autocracy however this apparent peaceful, holy sanctuary was rife with evils that conjured the demonic hysteria throughout Salem village; these were caused by an amalgamation
REVIEW OF LITRATURE A.) SUMMARY SOURCE A Although the whole book had information on the Salem witch trials. The introduction, chapter 1 and 2 and the conclusion had information regarding the research needed • Introduction: states what the Salem witch trials where and who they accused.
The Salem witch trials were a very dark time in the history of the United States. The tragic deaths of the 20 people who died will forever be carved into United States history. There are three main theories about what caused the mass hysteria in Salem. Ergot poisoning, strict rules towards women, and strict religion.
Many people were falsely accused of witchcraft, and there was no actual evidence of witchcraft. However, there is a lot of evidence pointing at many different probable causes. These causes give more of an explanation to how those accused were not actually witches. Therefore, the Salem Witch trials were not cause by actual witchery, but were caused by mental illness, epilepsy, and fungus. To start, there has been a lot of research
The 1692 events in Salem were not caused by a single person. Rather, the horrific miscarriage of injustice that was unfair persecutions under the guise of witchcraft could be blamed on natural phenomena. When young girls of the Massachusetts town developed strange symptoms, such as vivid hallucinations and strange bodily sensations, the local town doctor could not explain why they had suddenly taken ill. Confused, he diagnosed them with the one thing that made sense to the suspicious religious town: Witchcraft. Now, modern science concludes that a simple fungus was responsible for the girl’s symptoms.
The Salem Witch Trials: Many mysteries have occurred over the years such as the Lost Colony of Roanoke, BigFoot, or the infamous Skinwalker Ranch, but among these the most known mystery would be The Witch Trials of Salem. The event itself is not a mystery but the underlying forces behind the witch trials are. Over the years many theories have been proposed. The most prominent theory is the Ergot Theory, that puts forth the idea that a fungus caused the panic, but we believe that a more sinister cause is behind the panic. We believe that the hysteria was because the town was almost at a boiling point before the witch trials because of the land disputes and along with the puritans religious beliefs this induced the trials.
Mental Illness in Salem Witch Trials Introduction Witchcraft is the practice of magic and the use of spells and the invocation of spirits. According to Salem Witch Trials, 2015, the Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts claimed to have been bewitched by several adults in the town. More than 150 people were accused and hung, including men, women, and children (Salem Witch Trials, 2015). There were three girls in particular that sparked the trials: Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, and Ann Putnam. Also stated in Salem Witch Trials, their behaviors changed drastically; they began to hallucinate, shout in church, have fits, not eat, not wake up, attempt to fly, and feel as if they
Salem is a city located in Essex County , Massachusetts in the United States . Most people associate the city with the Salem witch trial in 1692 , which is very much exploited on a touristic level, even though the accused actually lived nearby, in Salem Village (now Danvers ), where the events unfolded. . On the other hand, the rest of the proceedings and the trial itself took place in the city in May 1692. The city has 40,407 people in the 2000 census , a vibrant downtown area with more than 60 restaurants, cafes and coffee
The Salem Witch Trials; Madness or Logic In Stacey Schiff’s, List of 5 Possible Causes of the Salem Witch Trials and Shah Faiza’s, THE WITCHES OF SALEM; Diabolical doings in a Puritan village, discuss in their articles what has been debated by so many historians for years, the causes of the Salem Witch trials. Schiff and the Faiza, purpose is to argue the possible religious, scientific, communal, and sociological reasons on why the trials occurred. All while making word by word in the writer’s testimony as if they were there through emotion and just stating simply the facts and theories. They adopt the hectic tone in order to convey to the readers the significance, tragedy, logic, loss, and possible madness behind these life changing events,
The Salem witch trial hysteria of 1692 may have been instigated by religious, social, geographic and even biological factors. During these trials, 134 people were condemned as witches and 19 were hanged. These statistics also include 5 more deaths that occurred prior to their execution date. It is interesting to look into the causes of this stain on American History, when as shown in document B, eight citizens were hanged in only one day.
Imagine being a wealthy 45-year-old woman in 1692 being accused of being a witch. The Salem Witch trials were caused by jealousy, fear, and lying. People believed that the devil was real and that one of his tricks was to enter a normal person 's body and turn that person into a witch. This caused many deaths and became a serious problem in 1692. First of all, jealousy was one of the causes of the Salem witch trials.