The Crucible: The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692

The winter of 1692 in January, at salem massachusett in the bay colony, the salem witch trials began, they lasted to about may of 1693. This was one of the darkest times in America 's history. The witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people that were accused of being a witch or practicing the devil 's magic. There was a very strong belief in supernatural practicing and the practice of devil 's magic or witchcraft in salem that caused the trails to begin. The practicing of devils magic was the belief of giving a women also know as witches the ability to hurt other men, women and, children.

Out of the accused, 19 people were hanged for the “crimes” that they had not confessed to. This was how the trials usually went. An accused witch was thrown in jail and called to plead their case in court. If said person does not confess to the crime of being a witch, they are presumed guilty and are scheduled to be hanged. For example, a report from History.com states, “Though Good and Osborn denied their guilt, Tituba confessed.

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 was one of the most famous witch hunt in history. More than 200 accused witched occupied the local jail. 19 people executed, were hanged, one pressed with rocks to death and few more died in jail within a year from 1692-1693. It happened in Salem Village, New England in Massachusetts, now known as Danvers. Witchcraft was second among the hierarchy of crimes which was above blasphemy, murder and poisoning in the Puritan Code of 1641.

The witchcraft of Salem, Massachusetts was an example of mass hysteria, it resulted in the hangings and deaths of many people from being charged with relations with the devil. The people who convicted the innocent were actually the ones who themselves had relations with the devil. The reasons the convictions happened were because of the young girls who got caught dancing around a fire in the moonlight and doing other practices, they didn’t want to get accused of the witchcraft so they ended up blaming other people who they were jealous of. Innocent people were accused and convicted on witchcraft making it the most unjustifiable testimonies in Salem.

In the movie, The Crucible, the Salem Witch Trials and their effects are highlighted. It begins in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Reverend Parris, the town minister, discovers his daughter, Betty, his niece, Abigail, and other girls dancing in the forest with his slave Tituba. Betty faints and does not wake up due to the shock and fear of being discovered. The villagers suspect witchcraft and gather at Parris 's house.

Living in Salem in the summer and spring of 1692 would’ve been an extremely hectic experience, especially if you were a married woman with another woman who wanted your man. Many people were put to death in the months between June and September, and had it not been for a mass hanging, it might have continued for who knows how long. The accusers of the Witch Trials were mainly jealous women who were out for the man(or land) of an accused woman, but that was not always the case. Some men(boys, really) accused others of being witches for the reason that a.) they wanted their land, or b.)

Many innocent people died in the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. If you were accused of being a witch or one with the devil, you would be sentenced to death or put in prison. The only one to blame for the deaths of the individuals is the Puritan Society. Without their absent minds, none of the deaths would have happened. The Puritan Society is very religious, therefore they believed strongly in going to church and most importantly in God.

Law was much different in Puritan society from what it is now. In Puritan society, almost everyone had the same beliefs. They believed that their beliefs were the rules people should live their lives by. Many people took advantage of this in various ways. Some people used Puritan law in order to gain power.

This is shameful. Today, here we have a sensible, honest, productive member of our community. I cannot say I am quite sure how girls dancing in the woods singing songs translates to witchcraft, but the community says it so. With only fingers pointed and no factual or realistic information, we condemn our village to be hanged. A village, where we put the lies of young children above the credibility of our greatest elders!

The Salem witch trials were established in the spring of 1692, in Salem Village, Massachusetts after a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the devil and indicted local women of witchcraft. Hysteria soon spread throughout colonial Massachusetts, and a court was assembled in Salem to hear these cases. Malefic witchcraft did exist in Salem, Massachusetts in the seventeenth century, but were the Salem Witch Trials an irresponsible act of the clergy and magistrates? Or was it something more logical?

Introduction George Jacobs Sr. said, “You tax me for a wizard, you may as well tax me for a buzzard I have done no harm.” Although his words were true, many chose to either believe this hysteria or turn the other way. He died along with many other women and men. This was just the start of the many terrors of the Salem witch trials. Yet if you confessed to being a witch then you had a better chance of living, but if you denied you would automatically get hanged.