Salem Witch Trials

The witchcraft craze in Salem started in 1692; it is a tragedy that we now call the Salem Witch Trials. If the Puritan people not allowed their religion to blindly lead them to the conclusion ofwitchcraft this tragedy may have been prevented. When two young girls started having fits, Doctors in the Puritan society of Salem Town, Massachusetts could find no explanation for the girl’s behavior;they came to the conclusion that it was witchcraft. Their conclusion started a mass hysteria that resulted in the execution of 20 men and women. The strict religious beliefs of the Puritan societyhelped to contribute to the mass hysteria that broke out during the time of the witch trials. The Salem Witch is one of the most fascinating events in American history.
To truly understand what occurredin 1692 you must first understand the religious beliefs of the people of Salem Town, Massachusetts. The Puritans believed that the Bible was God’s true law, and that it provided a plan for living(Kizer). Puritans believed that they were Everything the Puritan people did was governed by the Church. Anything that had roots in Paganism was forbidden, things such as music, dancing, and thecelebration of certain holidays. During the time period of the Salem Witch Trials there was a strong belief in demonic forces. The puritans did not have much knowledge of sickness or dieses at the time; theyturned to an explanation of demonic forces when something unexplained occurred. The strict religious beliefs of the Puritan people shaped the outcome and had a direct hand in what happened during theSalem Witch Trials.
The two young women who started the witch hysteria in Salem Village were the daughter and niece of Samuel Parris, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams; Samuel Parris was aPuritan Minister in Salem Village. Elizabeth and Abigail had a sudden onset of symptoms that could not be explained medically. Doctors and ministers watched in horror as the girls contorted themselves,...