Salem Witch Trial Essay

The Salem Witch Trial examines the accusations of witch craft during the late 1600’s in Salem Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials began when a group of girls accused their first three victims of malicious practice of witchcraft. The suggested practice first occurred in the home of the Reverend, Samuel Parris. He had a Caribbean slave, Tituba, who was said to have bewitched the girls. The girls and Tituba were said to have practiced a black magic dance in the middle of the woods. Shortly afterwards, the group of girls were barking like dogs and falling out (Witchcraft in Salem). The girls were examined by the town’s doctor who deemed them bewitched. Word spread quickly and ministers from nearby quickly came to help aid the girls and their

Everyone in Salem did not believe in witchcraft and some did not support the trials. Critics who voiced their opinions about the young girls’ accusations were accused of witchcraft themselves. According to History of the Salem Witch Trials, John Proctor, a local Farmer, “scoffed at the idea of witchcraft in Salem and called the young girls scam artists (History).” Proctor did not believe the girls were honestly bewitched, so he called them on their bluff. After calling the girls for what they were, Proctor and his family were deemed as witches. Proctor was hung for his conviction. Not long after, the girls’ accusations landed another man, Giles Corey, at his death. Corey was a notable town’s person. He knew that if he were convicted of his crime his children would no longer be able to inherit his land later in life. Corey brought his prosecution to a halt, refusing to plea. “English law at the time dictated that anyone who refused to enter a plea could be tortured in an attempt to force a plea out of them (History).” Corey was tortured until his death. Corey’s gruesome death lead to the opposition of more

Being that one of the alleged victims was the daughter of a reverend, it was more believable that the girls' accusations were factual. In the 1600s people were afraid the devil was trying to intrude and destroy the peace of Christians. Salem experienced a heightened sense of fear of the devil (History). Being a strongly religious community, Salem was terrified after Tituba, confessed to practicing witchcraft. During the trials, the accused were given test to prove their innocence, one being a test to recite the Lord’s Prayer (Witchcraft). A simple task as such should seem applicable to someone who was not a “witch”, but as the defendants recited the prayer, the girls would do things to make the defendant lose his or her focus. The girls would shriek out in fear and have “hallucinations” of the accused