Salem Witch Trials

706 Words3 Pages
Salem, Massachusetts was home to many Puritans in the late seventeenth century. They lived a strict and conservative life, by following the Bible closely. There was no music allowed and were living the ideal life as it was depicted in the Bible. Living that lifestyle was being a part of an honest and respectable community. Sinning, or going against the church, was something that was considered wrong in the eyes of God. Puritans were Christians who wanted to purify the Bible and travelled all the way to America just to do that, since they could not have done it in England. Work was essential to their daily life, followed by church. There was no time to spare because they tried to avoid any distraction from God. During the era they were settling…show more content…
There was a smallpox epidemic and a possible removal of their royal charter, “a written grant of rights by royalty for the creation of an organization” (“Royal Charter”) received from England. If the charter was denied by the King of England, that would have meant they had to be sent back. These events set fear and paranoia into the people, causing them to think irrationally. In 1692, a Native American slave, Tituba, was accused of witchcraft. She was accused when she allegedly baked a “witch cake” to find out who bewitched her owner’s daughter and niece when they began to act strange (Brooks). After baking the cake, all three of them were then accused of witchcraft. The daughters would scream hysterically, dance, and fall to the floor which was considered black magic in the eyes of the community. It was considered as such since it was such unusual behavior and the doctor had no other explanation for it. The abnormal behavior and bizarre accusations set everyone in the community into hysterics. They were fearful that the devil was present and making deals with some people. Soon enough, no one could be trusted because everyone in the community was turning on each other, claiming that they were witches in fear of not getting accused themselves. The trial process was cruel and…show more content…
They lived a quiet yet simple life, waking up early for work, and attending church regularly. Church was not only a time for worshiping God, but to discuss issues of the town. “Church attendance was mandatory. Those that missed church regularly was subject to a fine” ("Puritan Life"). Living by the Bible was their way of life and they were serious about it. The Puritans also had a great fear of the devil. They were constantly trying to live their lives by working and going to church to keep themselves from getting tempted by the devil. “Harsh punishment was inflicted on those who were seen as straying from God's work. There were cases when individuals of differing faiths were hanged in Boston Common” ("Puritan Life"). This was no place for people who doubted the faith or who wanted to go against it. This was a grim reality for the people of the church. It was filled with close minded people where there was no room for change of lifestyle. It was a constant fear of doing something that was considered wrong in the eyes of God. This phobia was a huge factor into the Salem Witch Trials. When a member of the community sinned, it was considered as an act of letting the devil a part of their lives. When one confessed to sinning, it was a tactic authorities used to have people confess to witchcraft. Since that was considered as evil, it was easier to receive

More about Salem Witch Trials

Open Document