In a small place called Salem Village, Massachusetts, over 200 people were accused of being witches and 20 people were executed, 1 being pressed to death. One woman, a woman who dared to do the impossible, a woman who dared to challenge the government, a woman by the name of Mary Dyer, was executed for practicing her religion which was declared illegal by the Puritan church. Why? It was because of suffocating grasp, the theocratic government, or the Puritan Church, had over the people. It all would have been different if the Puritan society was introduced to a document, we, as citizens of the United States, are so fortunate to have, which is called the Constitution, but more specifically, if they were introduced to the establishment clause. …show more content…
The lives of Mary Dyer and those who died in the Salem Witch Trials would …show more content…
If this was imposed upon the Puritans, no matter what religion was practiced amongst the people, it would have always been separate from the law. Mary Dyer, as well as the the rest of the Quakers, would also not have been institutionally discriminated against because the church would’ve been separate from the state. Additionally, those who died and those who were sent to jail in the Salem Witch Trials would have not been accused of witchcraft, as the church wouldn’t have had enough power to initiate such a mass hysteria because it was religion based and establishment clause states that religion must be kept separated from the
Cotton Mather accounts the witch trial of Martha Carrier through reporting the accusations and crimes prosecuted against her. This trial was unjust because prosecution occurred to explain unnatural events by using unfounded, spectral evidence. All unnatural events affected the witnesses negatively in matters of health or occupation. This led the people of Salem to create a scapegoat for their misfortune and other ‘witches’ to persecute those near to them in the fear of death.
How would you feel if you were not allowed to believe in your faith because of the constitution? The article, "Some Lawmakers Are Making The Separation Of Church And State Seem Like A Total Joke", written by Julia Craven (staff reporter) and edited by Nick Wing (senior viral editor) at the Huffington Post. Craven graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Politics and Wing graduated with a Bachelor of Art in Political Science and Journalism. This allows them to provide accurate and informational explanations about this article 's topic. In the article, they explain how lawmakers and citizens are debating the importance of separation of church and state.
Most of the people accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witchcraft Trials were women. While historian Carol F. Karlsen delves deeper into societal values that led so many women to be accused, in her book The Devil in the Shape of a Woman by focusing on social norms of the time, Elizabeth Reis, in her book Damned Women, focuses on the impact of gender in religion. They both discuss the importance of gender at the time, and the impact it made for the trials. There is not one clear reason why women were the main targets but each historian looks at a different aspect in 17th century American society where gender played a role. Both take a look at the way society functioned in the late 1600s and womens’ roles within the broader community.
There is a certain polarity that comes with the territory in witchcraft. In most witch trials, there was a sense of “he said, she said”, one side claiming one thing and the other disagreeing. This seemed to flow into the realm of historical thought on the matter. There is a dividing line of external and internal interpretations on the subject of the witch trials, especially including the trials in Salem. However, I argue that the line between the external and internal interpretations of the witch trials is blurred, the sides often bleeding into each
The Salem Witch Trials are widely known in American History. My inquiry into the trials consists of a series of questions: What was the purpose of mainly targeting women? How did the trials overall affect future legislation? How did the trials change society then and now? This will introduce the misogyny behind the trials, the ages that were mainly affected, and why they were targeted.
In the year of 1630, a group of people known as the Puritans arrived to America and settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in Boston. The Puritans were similar to the Pilgrims in which they were Protestants from England who thought that their reforms of their church were “too Catholic” and needed to be changed further. The Puritans being unhappy with their reforms was the primary reason for leaving England and settling in America, while the Pilgrims stayed behind and were determined to change their reforms. When they came to America, they decided to keep some of their strict rules. For example, church was mandatory and if someone missed a day,
In the late 1600s, the small town of Salem, Massachusetts was engulfed by a dark cloud of mass hysteria during the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Innocent women were unjustly accused, condemned, and subjected to torturous deaths for the alleged crime of witchcraft. Amongst the chaos and fear, lived a young woman named Sarah Osborne. This narrative essay delves into the life of Sarah, exploring her experiences before and after being accused, and sheds light on the devastating consequences that arise when mass hysteria drives people to make irrational choices. Sarah Osborne, a spirited and determined young woman, lived a modest life in the close-knit community of Salem.
In the Puritan way of life, religion is essential; therefore, there was no separation of church and state in their government and it was important
What Caused the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In Salem, Massachusetts there were Witch Trials held during the summer months of 1692. Throughout the seventeenth century in New England, witchcraft was said to be a crime punishable by death. Puritans came to New England in the early 1600’s to practice their Christianity in the purest form possible. They believed every word in the bible and that the words of God were to be followed down to the last sentence there was. Havoc started occurring around the town and 19 women along with men were hanged for witchcraft.
Salem Witch Trials: Puritans Impact New charter government, lethal frontier war, and political and religious conflicts set the perfect stage for Salem, Massachusetts (Paranoia, the Devil, and Witchcraft). That disaster was known as the Salem Witch trials. The trials was a span of time when people believed in the devil's practice of giving certain humans (witches) the power to harm others (Salem Witch Trials). When the people's superstitions became fear a great deal of innocent people were accused, put on trial, and even murdered (Salem Witch Trials). The first trial began when three girls flew into hysterics on January 20, 1692; their symptoms were so extreme, fear spread quickly (Saari 38,39).
Semester Essay The Salem Witch Trials, by Laura Marvel covers the tragedy from the era of witchcraft.. To give a brief overview of the historical event would be tough. Although it was a huge event that happened, most have heard false accusations that did not actually happen. Taking place in Salem Massachusetts, over 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, also known as the Devil’s Magic!
This one girl is responsible for the lives taken in the Salem witch trials of 1692. Abigail Williams is at fault for the Salem witch trials From the beginning to end she manipulated to cause the trails. From the beginning to end she manipulated the townspeople to cause the trails. She accused others of witchcraft which cost many lives just to save herself. She is guilty for the imprisonment and executions of innocent people.
(Q) How could the leaders of the Puritans look at this case and think that their religion or their lifestyle is healthy for the people? Winthrop 's ideology is basically telling the people that no matter what good deeds you do it 'll never be good enough for God. On the other hand this guilt is basically what built America. Why else would the Puritans be working so hard to make a functional city (besides the Queen 's authority and the promise of freedom of religion) they thought that they were the "chosen ones" by God and that the city upon a hill was the promise land.
The reason that the Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony could condone the acts of genocide that occurred during the Salem Witch Trials is because, while they had set themselves up to be a utopian society, it had not yet happened. Various reasons could have led to their settlement towards not becoming a utopia. The main reason for this is the very origin or the greek word “utopia,” which originally meant “impossible.” Other factors included simpler human concepts such as greed, hatred, and lust. These emotions were all present in the town of Salem, but they were hidden from notice by the towns folks devoutness to their church.
Anne Hutchinson challenged John Winthrop in his teachings of people’s salvation depending on their good deeds. John Winthrop’s teachings contradicted the Puritan belief of predestination. She was punished by banishment. Anyone who opposed the central government, the church and its ministers, were either banished or left. The Puritans’ ideas didn’t matter to their government.