The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692

A diverse array of historiographical arguments concerning the preliminary causes of the Salem Witch Trials have emerged subsequently to their occurrences, clashing along a vastly debatable spectrum of economic, social, and political influences (Brinkley, 2014, 74). Escalating accusations backed by miniscule evidence reaped terror among the Salem community. No one was truly immune to an accusation, and being accused had a high probability of ruining one's reputation for the remainder of their lives. Conversely to the linear notion of believing a singular cause was responsible for the atrocities among the Salem community, an intertwined network of various tensions set the anemic foundation for a monstrosity of inhumane punishment and hollow allegation

Paranoia can make a deep impact on tightly knit communities. During 1692, in the small colony of Salem, a witch panic spread rapidly. While many readers prefer not to read non-fiction, The Witches, Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff will grab their attention with her critically acclaimed retelling that is not only educational and informative, but also enriches and points out the deep background and cultural impact of the Salem witch trials In colonial America, women are not to be considered powerful or influential. So when “women play the villains in fairy tales - what are you saying when you place the very emblem of domestic duty between your legs and ride off, defying the bounds of community and laws of gravity” (Schiff 8).

The Massachusetts Bay Experiment was a colony founded on extreme puritan principal. It was to be a community of “Visible Saints”, for all other religions to look upon, where they could practice their puritan beliefs freely. Whenever there was a problem within the colony the puritans always looked to the church for answers. Since this was such a theocratic society, one could see just how an event such as The Salem Witch Trials could occur. Many historians attribute the cause of the Salem witch trials to various different reasons, it is evident through the various trials and reactions of the people being tried, that the Salem witch trials occurred because of the extremist views of the puritans.

Tens of thousands of Native Americans lived in Massachusetts prior to colonization in 17 century. European traders and fisherman were carelessly introduced diseases to Native tribes and it devastated their people. Much of the Land was vacant and available to settle. Colonization began in the 1620 with two Massachusetts and Plymouth Colony. Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were dark times in American History in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Throughout History, women have long struggled and fought for the same equality, justice, and rights as males in society. Historians have two opposing views of what life was like in Puritan society. One side argues that Puritan society was a golden age for women as they worked alongside their husbands, had an important role in the household. However, opposing historians argue that Puritan women were inferior to men in the society for five main reasons. Women were inferior because they were supposed to be silent company, they only received half the inheritance of their brothers, they were meant to have and take care of the children, they received harsher punishment for their wrongs, and they had to follow strict rules.

In 1692, A town in Massachusetts by the name of Salem Village found itself in one most documented cases of mass hysteria in history. This saga started with three girls: Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Parris, and Ann Putnam a neighborhood friend. Abigail Williams, the niece of the town’s minister, began to display weird and questionable behavior. The town’s physician,William Greggs, was called to determine the cause of this sporadic behavior. The town’s physician determined that the three girls were under “the Devil’s influence” and they had been bewitched.

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.

“Lies and secrets, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind” (Cassandra Claire). This is exactly what happened in the hearts and souls of people in salem with the mass hysteria of witches inhabiting the area. Throughout The Crucible, many characters lied for a number of reasons. It has become common to dismiss little white lies because they usually don’t seem to have a great effect on people.

Threat of Death During the witch trials around 1693, people were faced with a deadly internal conflict that often times came down to their morals and forced them to evaluate themselves. In Salem alone, 200 people were accused of witchcraft and 20 were executed. The question that the accused had to constantly ask themselves is where their dedication lied; their self-interest, or the larger community.

In the book, The Witches: Salem 1692, the author Stacy Schiff attempts to condense a large volume of research into a cohesive narrative that tries to avoid to much speculation. There is some contention that the book does speculate into the motives of primary accusers that some reviewers have intimated are bordering on fiction. However, the author defends her arguments logically, and her inferences do seem to bridge the gaps effectively. One of the items that causes some confusion, to both the historically curious, and to the researcher is that the author has created a list of dramatis personae in which the historical figures are labeled as a cast of characters which might make the book seem fictional.

As this trial wraps up and have left our once wonderful town of Salem Massachusetts to ruins. Throughout the course of the witch trials many lives have been lost in the ability to trust one another as protestant brothers and sisters has been lost. To this day very question the strength of this town and if it will have the ability to bounce back from such a horrific event such as this. While some may say forget the past for this in the past the story, this horrific story will be told for centuries to come. In addition to this to explain the catastrophic damage even the judges involved in this case have apologized for the many lives lost in the families change forever, never to be the same.

John Proctor, one of the main characters in The Crucible, is remorseful, candid, and industrial. He is very determined to make his farm as successful as possible. Proctor becomes truthful at the end when they want him to confess; moreover, he regrets what he did with Abigail Williams. His wife, Elizabeth Proctor, is not willing to condone the situation. There is always something that will be in the back of John Proctors mind throughout his life.

Honorable Last Actions In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, John Proctor is portrayed as a sinful, yet appreciated man who died a moral but undeserving death. During the Salem Witch Hunt, many innocent people lost their lives. Like others, John chose death over living a life that was deceitful. John Proctor’s last actions were noble and an act of righteousness.

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play about what happened during the Salem Witch Trials. It gives insight about what people had to deal with in this situation and how they handled it. The trials were basically a big test which helped figuring out whether or not people were guilty of witchcraft. This is an example of what a crucible is. In our world today we still have crucibles and even though they are different than back then, they all relate to each other because of what influence they have on people.

Not many people know much about what actually happened in the Salem Witch Trials. Maybe someone would think that it was just about witchcraft and crazy people being hanged, but it is a lot more than that. The Salem Witch Trials only occurred between 1692 and 1693, but a lot of damage had been done. The idea of the Salem Witch Trials came from Europe during the “witchcraft craze” from the 1300s-1600s. In Europe, many of the accused witches were executed by hanging.