Adrian Jaimes, Norah Gallimore Instructor Gann ENG III 8 April 2024 Salem Witch Trials Argumentative Essay The 1692 Salem witch trials, which were characterized by panic, terror, and a terrible death toll, continue to be a troubling episode in American history (Weller). Many opinions exist concerning the reasons and causes of these incidents, but one strong theory contends that the girls may have staged their symptoms and allegations in order to feed the witch hunt that followed. Ann Putnam Jr., who testified in twenty-one cases, apologized in her public confession in 1706, proving the girls were faking it (Caporael, 11). The afflicted girls sought power, sought to evade punishment, and desired financial or personal gain. Priority should be …show more content…
In the play's setting, the affected girls were found to have committed wrongdoings for which they would later face consequences. They are therefore phony because they sought to prevent this. They were also seen to be young, with ages ranging from 9 to 20, meaning lying was typically seen more frequently. Following up, when Rebecca nurse examined Betty, who was nine, she also claimed to be going through a phase by saying, “I have seen them all through silly seasons” (Miller, 1273). Ergot poisoning can induce symptoms such as hallucinations, confusion, and numbness, which could be mistaken for being stabbed or bitten (Caporael 10). Ergot would cause hallucinations that would look like sprites. If the girls thought that somebody was a witch and they were hysterical, they would freak out when facing them; that is what history does to people. The two combined would cause the paranoia observed in Salem in 1692. The witch trials on society and the economy. People who held substantial property or who were perceived as a danger to the status quo were frequently the targets of accusations of …show more content…
The possibility that the afflicted girls may have faked their symptoms and accusations raises troubling questions about the nature of justice, power, and prejudice in society. By acknowledging this perspective, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and injustices that fueled one of the darkest chapters in American history. The girls sought power, wanted to avoid punishment, and desired personal gain. Works Cited “Ann Putnam’s Confession.” Ann Putnam’s Confession (1706), pages.uoregon.edu/mjdennis/courses/wk3_putnam.htm. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. The. Caporael, Linda R. “Ergotism: Is Satan Loosed in Salem?” Science, vol. 78, no. 1, pp. 113- 192, no. 2 -. 4234, 1976, pp. 113-134. 21–26. The syllables of the syllables. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1741715. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024. The. Free Speech Center - Free Speech Center. “Salem Witch Trials - the Free Speech Center.” The Free Speech Center, 19 Feb. 2024,
The Salem, Massachusetts Witch Trials have generated extensive evaluation and interpretation. To explain the events in Salem, psychological, political, environmental, physical, and sociological analysis have all been examined. The authors Linnda Caporael, Elaine Breslaw, Anne Zeller, and Richard Latner all present differing perspectives to speculate about the events of the Salem Witch Trials. This changing interpretation and perspective has resulted in an extensive historiography to explain the
Analysis and Comparison of the Witch Trials In modern times, the most infamous witch trials are the one that occurred in Salem. These specific witch trials are known for the unjust killings of several accused women and men. The Salem witch trials of 1692, is a big portion of what people refer to, when they want to analyze how Puritan life was during the colonial period. According to ‘Salem Witch Trials’, “The witch trials are often taken as a lens to view the whole Puritan period in New England and to serve as an example of religious prejudice…”
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a series of trials held before a magistrate which took place in many parts of Massachusetts, revolving around what was thought to be practice of witchcraft or “Devil’s magic.” Many girls from the town of Salem, Abigail Williams and Betty Parris in particular, falsely accused other townsfolk of possessing them or practicing witchcraft. The government officials of this town believed that the girls were telling the truth about what they claimed to have seen/know and their random outbursts caused by this “demonic possession” or having a spell put on them. This scam led on by a couple of teenage girls ultimately ended up taking the lives of 20 people before it was demanded to stop by higher Massachusetts government officials and the cases were proved as a mistake. Since then, many psychologists, philosophers, and historians have tried to figure out the motive of the teenage girls.
Salem 1692, two girls ,Betty Parris, age nine, and her eleven year old cousin Abigail Williams, had a dream. They wanted to be the best actors in the village. They worked very hard to do that and they got twenty people killed. Betty and Abigail were Puritans and they are not supposed to lie or they would end up with the devil in the afterlife, but it seemed like they didn’t care. That’s why we ask, why were people blaming the innocent for being witches in Salem, 1692? The Salem Witch Trials were caused by two poor, young girls who acted possessed. There were also other people who took the risk of lying and accused other people. Most of the accusers were under the age of twenty and woman. The little girls caused the Salem Witch Trials hysteria by pretending to be possessed. Most of the accusers were poor and lived in the western part of the town.
By the reign of William III, there were becoming increasingly less cases of witch-hunting/trails and ultimate executions. The last recorded execution in England of an alleged witch is in 1682, though trials and accusations would still be brought alleged witches right up until the 1800’s both in England and on the continent in most cases /crown rule where witch-hunting/trials and executions took place, probably the most famous and certainly one of the most written about witching episodes is that of Witch Trials of Salem, Massachusetts.
The Salem Witch Trials were a series of prosecutions of men and women who were accused to practice witchcraft or have associations with the devil. The first Salem witch trial began with two girls in 1692, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams who started to have “fits”, in which they would throw tantrums and have convulsions. The random outburst of the girls threw the town of Salem into a mass of hysteria. Although historians have not found a definite reason or cause for the witch trials, they have taken different approaches to explain the hysteria that took over Salem. Some historians approach a psychological theory by proposing the girls suffered from diseases that made them act out. Other historians refer to factors such as religion, economics, and weather to explain the beginnings of an unforgettable time in Salem, Massachusetts. For over 300 years, historians have tried to reveal the truth about the beginnings of the Salem Witch Trials, but in order to do so historians must look at both the way of life in Salem in the seventeenth century and use knowledge that is available now to explain the phenomenon.
The New England Colonies of seventeenth century America were quite different from the other colonies in North America at this time. The climate was colder and the rules of religion much stricter, thus having an impact on the colonists living in this colony. The physical and cultural environments of these colonies were without question a factor that played a major part in the Salem Witch Trials.
Hinds, Maurene J. Witchcraft on Trial: From the Salem Witch Hunts to the Crucible. Library ed. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2009. Print.
According to Jones, modern estimates suggest perhaps 100,000 trials took place between 1450 and 1750, with an estimated execution total ranging between 40,000 and 50,000. This death toll was so great because capital punishment was the most popular and harshest punishment for being accused of witchcraft. Fear of the unknown was used to justify the Puritans contradictive actions of execution. Witch trials were popular in this time period because of religious influences, manipulation through fear, and the frightening aspects of witchcraft.
More than three centuries ago, an entire community in Salem, Massachusetts, just 5 miles from Salem Town fell victim to what would become the most notorious instance of witch hysteria in United States history. The infamous witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts remain one of the most unscrupulous and inexplicable phenomena in the United States, having resulted in a total of 20 deaths and 165 accusations related to Witchcraft within the span of four months. [3] The brief, but tumultuous period has long been a source of debate amongst historians. For nearly a century, it was widely accepted that social tensions and Puritan religious beliefs were the primary cause of the trials, but in the 1970’s, a college undergraduate suggested ergot poisoning might be to blame. Ergotism – ergot poisoning – is born from the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which is known to infect rye and other cereal grains, it produces a chemical known as ergotamine which is the base for toxic hallucinogenic chemicals such as LSD. [2] Studies have shown that the consumption of ergot-contaminated food results in symptoms much like those associated with the afflicted girls in Salem, 1692. [2] Collectively, Ergot poisoning, and the implication Puritanism and Puritan values had on the genuine fear of witches, and socioeconomic tension caused the events that would become the Salem witch hysteria of 1692.
During the 1690s, the Salem Witchcraft Trials occurred. However, they did not start in Salem, they occurred first in Danver (Starkey vii). This atrocity of an event was first started because of the fantasies of very little girls. These girl’s accusations created the largest example of witch hysteria on record (Starkey viii). During this time, the authorities had arrested over 150 people from more than two different towns (Gragg ix). Salem however, was not the only town that had girls saying there were witches in their town (Godbeer ix). Many people tried to escape, but that didn’t go to well for them (Godbeer x).
Reis, Elizabeth. Damned Women: Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England.( New York: Cornell University Press, 1999), 107-108.
Gangrenous ergotism is the type of ergot poisoning that is contracted when there is plenty of vitamin A in the environment. Salem was a farming town, meaning there was always a well balanced diet; thus making convulsive ergotism very hard to contract. The convulsions the “afflicted” girls were having would not have occurred with gangernous ergot poisoning because they are not part of the symptoms. By gangrenous being completely absent, it is most likely that ergot played any role in Salem. Also, the first bewitched girls were from very wealthy families who could have easily afforded the vitamin rich foods that would have prevented their convulsions, if they were to have contracted ergot poisoning. Ergot is rare, but when it does appear in people, it tends to show up in younger kids much more frequently. “..fifty six percent in the Finnish epidemic were under ten years old; sixty percent of Scrine’s cases were under fifteen years of age...’ (Spanos and Gottlieb) There were only three girls under the age of fifteen out of the eleven girls during the trials. Lastly, it was more common that when one member contracts convulsive ergotism, the entire household usually contracts it. However, during the trials, no entire house was said to be completely “...
The notorious witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts occurred from June through September. It is a brief, but turbulent period in history and the causes of the trials have long been a source of discussion among historians. Many try to explain or rationalize the bizarre happenings of the witch hunts and the causes that contributed to them. To understand the trials and how they came to be, we must first examine the ideals and views of the people surrounding the events. Although religious beliefs were the most influential factor, socioeconomic tensions, and ergot poisoning are also strongly supported theories. A combination of motives seems the most rational explanation of the frenzy that followed the illness of the two girls. This paper looks closely at the some of the possible causes of one of the most notable occurrences in history.
Although witch trials were not uncommon in Puritanical New England, none had reached such epidemic proportions as Salem. In 1691 the mass hysteria began when several young girls dabbled in witchcraft and began acting strange. When villagers took notice the girls were seriously questioned and so they began naming people, mainly woman, who had supposedly bewitched them (Boyer, p66). Several other who had been accused were woman displayed ‘unfeminine’ behavior and those who