Throughout the 1940s and 50s America was overwhelmed with concerns about the threat of communism growing in eastern Europe and China.Paranoia ensued. Salem was established as a religious community in the midst of evil. The people of Salem considered the forest the domain of the devil, and as you could guess, they were surrounded by it; Paranoia ensued A young senator named John McCarthy, made a public accusation that more than 200 “card carrying” commies infiltrated the U.S. government. Eventually his accusations were proved to be untrue. The delusional girls made unsubstantiated claims of the existence of witches in Salem, though they had no proof. These claimed ruined lives and increased hostility. Those who were accused of communism were
The community of Salem, like any other during this period, was very close and gossip was spread like a wild fire. Whenever something happened in one household all the other households would surely be informed soon. Rumors like how one family wasn’t going to make it for harvest, or that the reverend wasn’t a godly man. Pretty much any kind of rumor was spread, for any reason at all. In Salem when one girl got sick they blamed which craft, and they pointed fingers at anyone and everyone for all sorts of reasons.
Salem Witch Trials In the summer of 1692, 104 people were accused and put into trial for witchcraft. These trials were called The Salem Witch Trials, there has been a huge debate about why it happened for multiple years and no one has yet had a guaranteed reason why. So what actually caused the Salem Witch Trials? I believe the Salem Witch Trials was caused by a secret rivalry between two sides.
In the late 1940s and during the 1950s Americans suffered from both a cultural and political hysteria that was caused by panic and anxiety about the Soviet threat. Many Americans believed that there were communists working within America to weaken the country. Thousands of Americans citizens, from teachers, actors and trade unionists to high level government officials, were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers, and were investigated and questioned in front of government committees and agencies. Their association with communism was often exaggerated and many people lost their jobs or were imprisoned based on inconclusive and at times fictitious evidence. The ‘Red Scare’ that occurred in the United States during this period in
People would accuse one of being Communist without any real evidence. Everyone was watching their backs to make sure because they were afraid of the threat of communism.
Is it OK to kill people based solely on accusations? Kill innocent children? Burn women at the stake? Believe it or not, all of these atrocities and many more occurred in the town of Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600’s, and it was all done in the name of religion. Over 150 men and women were accused of witchcraft and sentenced to the death penalty based on accusations with no legitimate evidence proving them guilty.
The Climax of Witchcraft in the Western Europe The Salem Witch Trials, one of the darkest events in U.S. History, has been described as mad and sorrowful. Although the event killed 20 innocent people, still, it could not compare with an insanity the Europeans did with their response to claims of witchcraft in the 16th and 17th centuries. If the Salem Witch Trials were horrific enough, the Witch-hunts in Western Europe were worse.
McCarthy once said “There are today many Communists in America. They are everywhere -- in factories, offices, butcher stores, on street corners, in private businesses. And each carries in himself the germ of death for society.” This kind of talk made people fearful and caused them to point fingers at anyone they thought could be a communist regardless if they had evidence or not. McCarthy was not different from Abigail williams which falsely accused people and instilled fear throughout the town of Salem.
Our topic, on the Salem Witch Trial, was chosen because we were inspired by a lesson taught by our 7th-grade social studies teacher, Mr.Wong. He had discussed the Salem Witch Trial as part of the 7th-grade curriculum; we were fascinated by this topic that we wanted to learn more about this event. What captured our interest? It was mostly due to the fact that this topic involved witchcraft since at this day it would most likely not be accepted. We found that the Salem Witch Trial was significant to the US’s history since it foretold the fragility of the US’s society in the past when reacting to a magical threat.
In a matter of time five people were hanged in July. One was Rebecca Nurse. Her execution was a pivotal moment in Salem Witch Trials. Nurse was a well-respected and well-loved member of the community. When first arrested the community signed a petition for her release.
In Salem, Massachusetts the year was 1692. Bridget Bishop hung from wooden scaffolds on Gallows Hill with a noose around her neck, the villagers watched as she took her last breath. This event took place during the Salem Witch Trials, where more than 200 people were accused of practicing witch craft. Over twenty-three people and two dogs were executed for that reason. In 1693, the wife of the governor of Salem was accused of practicing witch craft, so naturally, he ordered the trials to cease at that point.
Salem, Massachusetts, USA and occurred between February 1692 and May 1693. Over 150 people were arrested and imprisoned and even more accused; but not pursued by the authorities. 29 were convicted of witchcraft but only 19 were hanged. The best known trials were in the Court of Oyer and Terminer.
The Salem witch trial hysteria of 1692 may have been instigated by religious, social, geographic and even biological factors. During these trials, 134 people were condemned as witches and 19 were hanged. These statistics also include 5 more deaths that occurred prior to their execution date. It is interesting to look into the causes of this stain on American History, when as shown in document B, eight citizens were hanged in only one day.
The Salem Witch Trials accusing others of a feared crime showed definite evidence that mass hysteria was to blame. Salem was a religious settlement, following Puritan beliefs (Miller, 6). A large fear for everyone in Salem was the touch of the Devil (Miller, Arthur). According to Puritan beliefs, if a man or woman was touched by the Devil he would convince them to do witchcraft. Once word was mentioned the Devil had possibly touched Salem, the fear spread.
The Salem witch trials was one of the most absurd and tragic events in history of pre-colonial America. A fine example of how believing in accusations and hearsay could affect a lot of people in a short span of time. the justice system is flawed and prejudice was allowed to reign over the people. I found this topic very interesting even though it is one of the most regretted in history. I’ve always been the type of person who likes reading all those weird and peculiar things on the internet.
The Salem Witch Trials The belief of witchcraft can be traced back centuries to as early as the 1300’s. The Salem Witch Trials occurred during 1690’s in which many members of Puritan communities were accused and convicted of witchcraft. These “witch trials” were most famously noted in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Many believe this town to be the starting point for the mass hysteria which spread to many other areas of New England.