Analytical Essay: The Bridget Byshop Trial

I have seen too many frightful proofs in court - the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points!” This statement displays how fear has taken control of all sense left in the community, and how this has even led to the persecution and mistrust of established community members. “… And I bid you all do likewise. In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence.

The Salem Witch Hunt and the Internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller, which is based on the events of the Salem Witch Trials. In the play, a girl accuses innocent people of witch craft, and many people died because of the misunderstanding that it was all a lie. There are many historical events that are similar to the Salem Witch Trials, such as the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. In this event, Japanese-Americans were put into internment camps, which were solitary camps made to separate these people from the rest of the U.S. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan caused the distrust of Japanese-Americans similar to those accused of witch craft in the Salem Witch

Myth-busting: Ergot Poisoning The years 1691 to 1692 mark an important date in Salem Massachusetts. A small village on the North coast of Massachusetts, Salem became notorious for their injustice and cruelty of their Witch Hunts, in which over 20 people, men and women, were executed in half a year. Surrounded by Religious Paranoia and uncertainty in their newfound community, people began looking at practices of the Devil as a scapegoat for unusual happenings. Believed to have been works of the devil for centuries, this idea has been rebuked in recent times, as a study in 1976 strongly suggested the effects of Rye Ergot Poisoning to be the main force behind the Witch trials.

“Bridget Bishop was the first person to be executed during the Salem witchcraft trials.” Even her own husband thought she was a witch. “In 1680, she was accused of witchcraft. This accusation could have been facilitated by Thomas' claim that ‘she was a bad wife . . .the

Instead of ignoring the female accusers in Salem Possessed, Boyer and Nissenbaum should have analyzed the events starting the witch hunt in early 1692 and the

The events in Salem in 1692, were but one chapter in a long story of witch hunts that began in Europe between 1300 and 1330 and ended in the late 18th century (britannica). In the Spring of 1692, paranoia broke out that is much too familiar to us today. Adolescent girls, in an effort to shift blame for their own delinquent behavior, used their current social climate to start a wave of mass hysteria and panic that involved multiple communities. Salem Village was half of the overall Salem community, and the other half was the more influential Salem Town (britannica). Salem Village leaders, that included the minister, the doctor, and the magistrates supported the girls unsubstantiated and otherwise false claims against villagers.

Eventually, as stated in Document A, Bridget Bishop was the first witch to be hanged in the Salem Witch Trials on June 10, 1692. However, Parris happens to be the father of an “afflicted” girl that was enticed by a witch named Tituba. The one thing can be inferred from this document though is that Parris’s experience with witches most likely altered his opinion to be negative towards these people. Despite his bias, Document C supports the conclusion of family ties being the cause of the Salem Witch Trials. Parris most likely obscures these women’s personage in order to protect his daughter from witches.

Margaret Jones was accused in 1648, but nobody had confessed to being a witch before, which made Tituba’s confession all the more important to the town.

Preceding the horrific events of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, the village of Salem was experiencing many difficulties, and in spite of its name, it was hardly a haven of tranquility.(Marvel, 2002, p.14) The town faced varying problems ranging from factional politics, religious problems, and famine. The winter of 1691 leading up to the summer of 1692 brought a time of suspicion, accusations, and mass hysteria. Many accusers, who were often little girls, went through alarming physical symptoms, such as inability to consume and sleep, erratic behavior, seizures, and panic attacks. (Kinchlow, 2011)

The court's first session were held on June 2 and resulted in a death sentence for the accused witch Bridget Bishop, she was hung on June 10. The court next met on June 29 and heard the cases of five accused women. When the jury tried

The Salem witch trials began in October 1692, where the towns people of Salem Village Massachusetts thought they were being attacked by a conspiracy of witches. The Puritans also thought of North America as the devil’s territory, a super natural enemy. During the spring of 1692 a group of young girls started acting really bazar they claimed to possessed by the devil. The girls accused many older local women of witchcraft, usually all the women accused were usually outcasts. The result of those young girls Salem Village began a special court to hear the cases of accused women.

Analyzing Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum's book, Salem Possessed leads to the exploration of the pre-existing social and economic divisions within the Salem Village community, as an entrance point to understanding the accusations of witchcraft in 1692. Salem Village and Salem Town were politically a single unit, but socially as well as economically the two were diverse and because of this, it caused a rivalry. Salem Village had a lot of farmland, poorer people and was more rural as well as conservative. ; the Village was led by the Putnam family. Salem Town was more sophisticated, nautical, and prosperous, with wealthier and more respected people; They were interested in the mercantile and political life of Salem Town and were led primarily

After his months spent in the dungeon with no confession, the morning of John’s execution arrived. The morning of his execution, he encountered a visit between judges Danforth and Hawthorne, Reverend Samuel Parris, and Hale. During this encounter, all four men except Hale were trying to get John to sign his confession of witchcraft because if he did, this news would galvanize the town of Salem because John is a very respected figure in town. The reader notices this when Hathorne says, “God be Praised! It is a providence!

In document C its shows the examination of Bridget Bishop recorded by Samuel Adams. The thing that makes this case significant is that Samuel Adams nine-year-old daughter Betty had accused someone of witchcraft. This meant that if Samuel Adams did not prove that Bridget was a witch, her daughter was lying and was going to be known as a liar for the rest of her life and it would have looked bad on Samuel Adams family. So he was determined to prove her guilty and get her killed for something she didn 't do just to save his family from embarrassment and judgment. In document D it also shows a paragraph written by a historian in the 19th century.

Bridget Bishop, a resident of Salem, was the first person to be tried as a witch. Surprisingly, Bishop was accused of witch craft by the highest number of witneses. After Bishop, more than two hundred people were tried of practicing witchcraft and twenty were executed. Many of these accusations arose from jealous, lower class members of society, especially towards women who had come into a great deal of land or wealth. Three young children by the names of Elizabeth, Abigail, and Ann were the first three people to be “harmed” by the witches.