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The Narrator's Letter: The Salem Witch Trials

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Dear whomever may be reading this letter,

I am writing this to show the madness of the witch hunts here in Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay colony. Two girls have accused three women of witchcraft, and one of them, a slave confessed to being a witch. She accused four women and three men, and to escape death the accused pleaded guilty and named others, whipping the people of the village into a rabid frenzy. As I am writing this twenty people have been killed, and I pray that no more are sent to follow them to the gallows. About two hundred have been accused, and it seems the only way to escape death is to name more witches. These so called "witches" are accused of practicing the Devil's magic, causing fits, visions, burning sensations, and other afflictions. I, personally, do not believe that witchcraft is real, I believe that resentment between people of Salem Village and Salem Town is to blame.

I am a …show more content…

They also suffered from burning sensations, stabbing sensations, and visions of their tormenter. It truly horrifies me to think that people are so willing to accuse their fellow man simply to accomplish seemingly nothing. I do not believe Satan was in the room, and only the fears and the corruption of the human heart was to blame for this tragedy.

Actions taken were to torture, and kill the witches. The moment one was accused he became subhuman, and they were expected to confess and reveal other "witches" or to die. Punishments for witchcraft were jailing, hanging, the witches' cradle, among others. Cotton Mather, the Salem Village minister said "It is better that ten accused witches are set free than that one innocent man is condemned." Susana Martin said "A guilty tongue will never make a guilty tongue." As well as “I never saw the Devil’s book nor knew that he had one.” from Ann

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