Summary: Margret Jones And The Salem Witch Trials

Whether you would like to believe it or not our country has some very dark history ranging from the use of children in factory’s, to keeping and enslaving human beings. Although there is a more disturbing and more sinister part of our history. We refer to this as the Salem witch trials occurring in Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. You might have heard of this from your history class, more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft and therefore killed. Although it spanned form a very short period of time it’s still a very important and deep part of our history. Did these people actually deserve their punishment for the actions taken around this time was every measure taken and inspected in these trials? What were the Salem Witch trials?

In his writing he explains how there is a Pissacannawa that holds mystical powers beyond what any human is capable of. This man can make “Water burn, the rocks move, trees dance, metamorphize himself into a flaming man.” (crosscurrents William Wood [native religion] pg. 166) They believed he accomplished this magic through the devils help and could manifest anything that he desired; also including in an eyewitness encounter with in the writingd. Margret Jones one of many women’s accused of witch craft is written about by John Winthrop. In his writing he tells of Margret Jones of Charlestown who was indicted and found guilty of witchcraft, and hanged for it in 1648. She was reported when people who came encounter with her complained of pain and sickness. “Whom she stroked or touched with any affection or displeasure were taken with deafness, or vomiting, or other violent pains or sickness’.” (crosscurrents John Winthrop [ The Trial of Margret Jones] pg.

The puritans had a strong belief that God had set them on a mission to pave the way for all human kind. The puritan way was a very strict and rigorous system. Anything out of order seemed strange and raised many questions. Anything that went against this code was seen as a sin and the accuser deserved to be punished. They believed in the wrath of God and feared it gravely they tried everything they could to prevent it on themselves. Thus why the witch trials were taken in such serious matter.

Puritans also believed that the devil was present in their towns. They thought that the devil was running out of time to convert and torture mankind. The community believed that he had begun to recruit people to carry out his work. Settlers believed that God would protect them and keep them out harm’s way if they served him. Leading them into trying to eliminate the witches and all evil in the