Overview of the Salem Witch Trails

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The Salem Witch Trails A dark time in American history could be easily recognized in the chaos and mass hysteria stirred up during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, when many people lost their lives due to crazed accusations and extremist religious beliefs. Today Salem is known as the home of The Salem Witch Trails. Many people visit places like Gallows Hill and the House where they held the accusation meetings. Salem’s rich history makes it a very popular tourist attraction today. All the chaos began when a few young girls began having strange fits. These girls would fall to the floor and have seizures. They would also scream out if anyone touched them. Nobody could explain it. The Doctors could find no cause. They had never seen a illness like it before. The villagers began to believe it was the work of the devil. That Satan had entered Salem. They also feared one more thing, Witchcraft. (Magoon 7) Religion played a big part in this hysteria. The Puritan religion believed that bible was gods law, and it also provided a plan for there life. The people of Salem believed that witches and witchcraft was a big threat. The thought that witches could control their mind and body and make them do crazy things. They were determined to rid Salem of the devil. The chaos was not only in Salem. Communities throughout New England were concerned about witchcraft. All throughout there were accusations about witches in the community. In Salem most of the accused were very prominent people in the community while most of the accusers were from the rural part of Salem. Some of the girls who were part of Tituba’s circle had lost a parent in an Indian raid and accused the prosperous women in the community. (“The Salem Witch Trails (1600…”) There w... ... middle of paper ... ...g done they will do anything to make it happen. This usually results in innocent people being punished. Studying the trails could help societies understand why things like the witch trails happened. With knowledge like this we could prevent this like this from happening again in the future. Works Cited Nardo, Don. The Salem Witch Trails. Missouri: THOMSON, 2007. Print. Rice, Earle. The Salem Witch Trails. San Diego: Famous Trails, 1997. Print. Magoon, Kekla. The Salem Witch Trails. Minnesota: ABDO, 2008. Print. “Salem Witch Trails.” Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: War. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Student Resources In Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2013 “The Salem Witch Trails (1600-1754).” American Eras. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Student Resources in Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2013 “The Salem Witch Trails, 1692”, “Eyewitness’ to History, 2000. 6 Nov. 2013. www.eyewitnesstohistory.com

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