The Salem Witch Trials serve as a grim reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria. Though the accusations of witchcraft may seem absurd now, during the late seventeenth century, they were seen as entirely plausible by the New England Puritans. At that time, belief in witchcraft and satanic influence was widespread, and the Puritans lived in a constant state of anxiety due to war and frequent Native American attacks. This environment of fear and suspicion likely played a significant role in the readiness to believe and prosecute those accused of witchcraft. Examining primary sources such as Salem Judge Samuel Sewall’s Diary and the case file of Giles Corey’s trial reveals that the reactions of New England Puritans to accusations of witchcraft in the …show more content…
This is seen in the case of Giles Corey. When one of the women accused alongside Corey confessed to witchcraft and accused him in turn, it demonstrated how confessing guilt and implicating others was a common and often successful strategy to avoid execution. Sewall also acknowledges this in his diary where he writes “A petition is sent to Town in behalf of Dorcas Hoar, who now confesses: Accordingly an order is sent to the Sheriff to forbear her Execution...This is the first condemned person who has confessd.” The first to confess escaped execution, starting this trend while confirming that the others, who had already been executed, denied their charges of witchcraft. This is also alluded to in the case files of Giles Corey where it is stated that Bibber, one of Corey’s accusers, “gave testimony concerning some temptations he had to make away with himself.“ It can be reasonably assumed then, that Bibber or his wife had been called into question and had professed before Corey’s trial without lasting consequence. Conversely, Corey's insistence on his innocence led to relentless questioning until he was “pressed to death for standing Mute,” according to Sewall's