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Essay On Salem Witch Trial

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Salem witch testing The year 1692 is when madness broke out in a small village called Salem. This disaster started when a group of young girls displayed unusual behavior. This group of girls claimed to be possessed and when asked who controlled their behavior the girls replied with the name of a slave. This led the village to accuse women of witchcraft. The small community then began to pray and fast to rid their town of the Devil’s influence. In the process of being accused many of the suspects were forced to undergo test. These test were used to decide whether or not the suspect will be executed. Many of these tests though, were harsh and was believed to prove innocence or guilt. One of the harshest test was named the Swimming Test. This test required the suspect to strip down to their undergarments. They were then bound by their hands to their feet and thrown into a lake. The judges believed that if the accused floated they were guilty because the water was rejecting the person 's body. If the person sunk to the bottom of the lake they were innocent and were still executed by drowning. The less harsh test was named the Prayer Test. It was believed that if you were a witch you could not recite …show more content…

Judges forced the suspected witches to undress down to their undergarments in public and were examined for marks. These marks consisted of blemishes, birthmarks, moles, and even scars. The community believed these marks were the Devil’s way into a person 's body. Many individuals in the village went as far as scratch, freezing, and burning marks off of their bodies to be innocent. The judges would also bring in experts called Pickers. These experts were often con men and would use needles made of gold and would poke the suspect causing them to have new marks making them seem guilty. The community believed you were innocent if you felt pain and bled as you were pricked all over the

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