Three Sovereigns for Sarah tells the Story of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, I will explain the Key factors as to why the Witchcraft Hysteria even took place over 300 years ago. First, it’s important to know the background of the dwellers from Salem and origins of the dwellers at the time. Almost 90 years prior to the trials, many British citizens and their families had finally migrated to “The New World” (America) at around 1607, after discovering the new land many sought to begin new lives pursuing a perceived economically successful Country. As Well as Religion played a Huge part in British Migration due to many seeking a Free land where one could freely believe and practice their beliefs without the threat of religious persecution amongst them. From the many Religions to sprout from this transition, the Puritan Belief was one …show more content…
If one was risen to a higher status of economical wealth they were likely to be subdued to a Witch trial due to competition of wealth, especially in a Smaller populated Hamlet. Accusers could easily use this as an excuse due to a sense of Jealousy and lust that evidently could cloud people's minds. There was even the possibility of Financial Compensation to the Accuser's family if the Alleged “Witch” in some way, shape, or form harmed the accuser and/or their family. Not only did Economic Status play a crucial part in the Salem Witch Trials, Power amongst town leaders was crucial in the same sense. Governors from a variety of areas could easily be accused of Witchcraft due to decisions or rules set by a Governor and the accuser having a differing opinion and disagreeing with it in the past. This was proved almost a Year later in 1693 when the The Governor’s Wife was even accused of Practicing Witchcraft in 1693, with great disbelief and an obvious lack of Evidence, the Witch Trial Hysteria was quickly
ESCAPING SALEM: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 In Richard GodBeers novel “Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692” he tells of a witch trial that took place in Stamford Connecticut in 1692. GodBeer starts readers off with the setting taking place in Daniel and Abigail Wescots household. He tells of a dilemma going on in the household pertaining to their servant; Katherine Branch. She was experiencing hallucinated fits that caused her to convulse and scream in pain.
A special court of Oyer and Terminer was formed for witchcraft cases and Bridget Bishop was the first to be convicted. On June 10, she was hanged. 18 others soon followed afterwards and about 150 people were accused over the following months with another person pressed to death by stones. By September 1692, the public began turning against the trials and it soon ended months later.
An Insight to Early New England Mentality In Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692, Richard Godbeer reconstructs a particular witch hunt that is less known than its counterpart, the Salem Witch Trials. This trial, which took place in the Stamford, Connecticut area in the seventeenth century, demonstrated the theologies as well as the natural and supernatural beliefs of early New Englanders. These factors played an important role in how these settlers viewed the world and its peculiar mysteries. The perspectives of key participants, such as Katherine “Kate” Branch, Daniel and Abigail Wescot, Elizabeth Clawson, Mercy Disborough, Sarah Bates, and Jonathan Selleck, displayed the range of reactions and thoughts of early New Englanders regarding
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692: Misunderstood Reasons for Behavior How can people tell what actually happened during the Salem Witch Trials? How and why did these trials begin in the first place? The Salem Witch Trials began in Salem Massachusetts in 1692, soon after Samuel Parris and his family moved to the town. Parris brought with him two slaves but one, Tibuta, was in charge of looking after the girls Betty Parris, age 9, and her cousin Abigail Williams, age 11. Tibuta told the girls and their friends about voodoo and magic and even made them “witch cakes.”
The movie “Three Sovereigns for Sarah” was an accurate representation of what went on during the Salem witch hanging trials of 1692. There were five major concepts that played pivotal roles in the hysteria surrounding Salem, Massachusetts; superstition, religion, politics, economics, and gender roles. The town of Salem was consisting of mostly Puritans. A Puritan is a member of an group of English Protestants of the late 16th and 17th centuries who regarded the Reformation of the Church of England under Elizabeth as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship.
Centuries ago within the two years of 1692 and 1693, the Salem witch trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony. During this tragic event, there were over two hundred people, including male and female, who were accused of being witches. Isolating the accusations, there were only about twenty or those people who were executed for the practice of “Devil’s Magic”. Such practice of witchcraft was against many religions, like Christianity (Blumberg). The trials begin in January of 1692 because of Reverend Parris’ daughter, Elizabeth (who was only nine), and his niece, Abigail Williams (who was eleven).
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).
Salem Witch Trials of 1692 The Salem Witch Trials were a terrible time in the early days of American History. The Puritan villagers were frightened about losing their new home due to starvation, Indians, and illness. Fear allowed the trials to happen. The puritans began to lose control of the strict religious tenant that brought them here to the new land.
The Salem witch trials was a series of trials held for those accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts from the spring of 1692 to September 1692. These trials were started when a group full of young girls were accused of practicing the occult and being possessed by the devil, and then accusing other women during that time of being witches themselves. In order to understand the trials, one must look at the characteristics of the region of Colonial America, the American ideals or philosophies that may have caused this event to occur, and how have these ideals and philosophies changed to the way we live today. One must also look at what was inevitable or avoidable, and what was beneficial or costly. Characteristics of Salems colonial village
The Salem witch trails: The terrible case of witchcraft 2nd draft Heather Risley In Massachusetts during 1692, a case corrupted the nation (E.j. Wagner). People were being sent to jail for what they thought was witchcraft. Innocent people died all because of girls who were acting strange, like screaming, hurting themselves etc.; the girls seemed to be controlled by “witchcraft” (Stewart, 6-66).
The Salem Witch Trials; Madness or Logic In Stacey Schiff’s, List of 5 Possible Causes of the Salem Witch Trials and Shah Faiza’s, THE WITCHES OF SALEM; Diabolical doings in a Puritan village, discuss in their articles what has been debated by so many historians for years, the causes of the Salem Witch trials. Schiff and the Faiza, purpose is to argue the possible religious, scientific, communal, and sociological reasons on why the trials occurred. All while making word by word in the writer’s testimony as if they were there through emotion and just stating simply the facts and theories. They adopt the hectic tone in order to convey to the readers the significance, tragedy, logic, loss, and possible madness behind these life changing events,
In the year 1692 an incident that resulted to twenty people being executed and even an additional two hundred people being accused of witchcraft which most people know today as The Salem witch trials. These injustices had prevailed in the society and people would be randomly accused and randomly killed because people believed that witchcraft was a punishable crime like other. In the most bizarre events in the American history the Salem trials had entirely become rampant and even shaped the court decisions (Levin,1955). However, in the year 1933 common sense prevailed and most people argued that witchcraft would not be a punishable offense since supernatural forces could not be used as evidence in a court of law. Before the trials ended many
The Salem Witch Trial Inquiries The perception of the people that lived in the 1600’s were that differences between isolated people and the common community were seen as witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials were a series of peculiar accusations in a colony in Massachusetts mainly between February 1692 and May 1693. These Salem Witch Trials were also mainly about the Puritans that lived in a rural city of Massachusetts. In the 1600’s those in small towns were extremely close to one another so it would affect the entire town population.
Despite the fact that the chase began in Salem, it spread to the neighboring towns, and the quantity of individuals charged and captured was drastically expanding. Since the correctional facilites progressed toward becoming packed, the blamed witches were kept in different prisons in Salem, Boston and Ipswich. The witches were believed to be extremely hazardous, so they were binded to the dividers in the cell. The trials were held in the Salem courthouse which was arranged in the focal point of the Washington Street. The principal individual conveyed to the trial was Bridget Bishop.
INTRODUCTION: During the late 17th century, there were many accusations of witchcraft within the thirteen colonies. Many men and women of all ages and authority were accused of witchcraft. When the British were colonizing North America, the traditions of witchcraft were supposedly taken to the new land with the colonists. The Salem Witch Trials taught people that they shouldn’t believe everything they are told and that people shouldn’t assume something without having specific research that can prove it.