Executed For Witchcraft In 1692 Fourteen Women, Five Men

Executed for witchcraft in 1692: fourteen women, five men and two dogs. In the end of the witch hunt: 19 innocents would be hung, 4 would die in prison and one man pressed to death. The Salem Witch trials is an event referred to today as the time-period where witches were burnt on the stake. Today, witches are featured in films and television with little to no fear publicly shown. But the witch hunts of the 1600’s would be a result of not only fear, but the hopes of gaining the attention of the public eye. The three major factors that influenced the Salem Witch Trials were fear, religion, and hunger for power. What needs to be known to understand the events that would occur are the ideas of the Puritans during the time-period. The†¦show more content†¦In 1688, hysteria and paranoia would spread. Colonists were fearful of fellow citizens being witches after children are possessed, acting weirdly being told stories about witchcraft. The children would be cured through prayer and fasting. The potential witch would be executed. The execution of a witch was essential to the Puritan’s religion because the Roman Catholic Church looked upon witches and witch craft as an act of treason. Previously, witchcraft was used to execute those who turned their back on the church since the King was also the head of the Church. Since the Bible is the word of God, the reasonings were religious behind the executions. Massive witch hunts were common in Europe before Salem. Since witchery was frowned upon and considered a sin and when paranoia occurred in the community, the people were determined to execute the accused. In the Puritan’s religion, it was believed that not only one’s own faith determined their destiny to Heaven or Hell, but also the communities. When one was considered to be against God’s faith, it was a top priority to purify the colony. But, there had to be some sort of proof that the accused really was a witch to justify f urther punishment. Tangible signs were necessary to claim a person as a witch before he or she could be put on trial and possibly executed. A guidebook would soonShow MoreRelatedEssay on Salem Witch Trials Of 16921061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In colonial Massachusetts between February of 1692 and May of 1963 over one hundred and fifty people were arrested and imprisoned for the capital felony of witchcraft. Trials were held in Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town of Essex County of Massachusetts, but accusations of witchcraft occurred in surrounding counties as well. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem Village. Hysteria had swept throughRead MoreSalem Witch Trials : Witchcraft Trials1726 Words   |  7 Pageswitch trials. The Salem witch trials are well known, but they are not the first in America and are very small compared to other witch hunts. In 1648 Margaret Jones was hanged for witchcraft in Massachusetts (Brooks). In Europe 110,000 people were questioned during the 1300s to the 1700s, and 40,000 to 60,000 people were executed (New World Encyclopedia). The Salem witch trials took place in Salem Village, which is now called Danvers, Massachusetts. Salem was settled in 1626 by puritans, and not veryRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Essay1349 Words   |  6 PagesBefore 1692, the supernatural was a part of people’s everyday normal life. This is so as people strongly believed that Satan was present and active on earth. Men and women in Salem Village believed that all the misfortunes that befell them were the work of the devil. For example, when things like infant death, crop failures or friction among the congregation occurred, people were quick to blame the supernatural. This concept first emerged in Europe around the fifteenth century and then spread toRead MoreThe Witchcraft Hysteria Of 16921367 Words   |  6 PagesThe witchcraft hysteria of 1692 happened within the Puritan colony known as Salem Massachusetts. It’s important to know that the belief in witchcraft was carried over from their home country, England. In E ngland, an act of witchcraft was considered treason against the Church of England, not to mention the king, who was the head of the church, so if one was to turn their back on the church also meant going against the king. Many acts against witchcraft were passed, the one dated closest to the SalemRead MoreThe Motive For The Salem Witchcraft940 Words   |  4 Pages Witchcraft is a subject in American History that has kept historians intrigued for ages. Nevertheless, this volatile topic addresses many questions of how women are perceived during this hectic and forbidding time. A person did not have to be a murderer or a thief to be consumed with fear during this time. Unfortunately, fear could be present simply due to their jealous neighbor, or the fact that they had an abundance of land. The violence against women, and a few men, brought out anxiety for theRead MoreWhat Were The Salem Witch Trials1449 Words   |  6 PagesSTART OF WITCHCRAFT HYSTERIA A considerable lot of the American settlers carried with them, from Europe, a faith in witches and the devil. Amid the seventeenth century, individuals were often executed for being witches and worshiper of Satan. The Puritan town of Salem was home to where many executions of witches took place, more commonly known as the Salem witch trials. A scandalous scene in American history, the Salem witch trials of 1692 brought about the execution by hanging of fourteen ladiesRead MoreThe Murder Of Witchcraft During The Nineteenth Century1599 Words   |  7 Pages In 1692, witchcraft accusations were prevalent in Salem Massachusetts. Hundreds of innocent people were accused and jailed on charges of witchcraft which stemmed from social class tensions, intense religious beliefs, and adolescent behavior. The accusations began with a group of young girls whose strange behavior caused many to believe that the devil and witchcraft were at play. The charge of witchcraft was considered a capital offense in the seventeenth-century, which ultimately led to the stoningRead MoreI Chose To Analyze The Primary Source Of â€Å"The Wonders Of1192 Words   |  5 Pages He believes that Christianity is at stake here and that witchcraft is taking over. Cotton Mather wrote â€Å"The Wonders of the Invisible World† in 1693, just at the end of the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts and was the place of many deaths due to hysteria, finger pointing and delusion. In 1692, the Massachusetts Bay Colony had executed fo urteen women, five men, and two dogs accused of witchcraft. Most of these people were Puritans in this town. PuritansRead MoreSymptoms And Symptoms Of A Fever Of Salem, By Laurie Winn Carlson966 Words   |  4 Pageschanges, tremors, neck rigidity and abnormal eye movements. Carlson goes on to say that a doctor had been called in to see the girls and was unable to find a physical cause of their symptoms, and so he concluded that they suffered from possession by witchcraft. This was a common diagnosis of undefined conditions at the time (Saxon). A second explanation for their symptoms could be the fungi, ergot, which affected the grains in the town of Salem. Science Magazine published a study in 1976 that concludedRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Of 1692 Is One Of The Biggest Events1257 Words   |  6 Pages The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 is one of the biggest events in American History. Before the trials began the Protestants, and the Catholics worked together to hunt down people that practice witchcraft. It is said that people that practice witchcraft use powers to bewitch others, and those that are accused of witchcraft must face a consequence. The trials began when two young girls became ill, and accused their slave of bewitching them. Then the spectral evidence case against Bridget Bishop was brought