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The Salem Witch Trials were a series of witchcraft trials presented before local judges in the 17th century in Salem, a town in the Massachusetts Bay colony. In 17th century Massachusetts, people frequently worried that the Devil was continually attempting to enter and destroy Christians and their communities. As a devoted and deeply religious society living in near seclusion in the unknown New World, Salem had a heightened feeling of terror of the Devil, and it didn't take much to persuade the people that there was evil amongst them. Over 200 people were accused of committing witchcraft, and 20 of them were killed (Brooks, 2018). The precise reason for the Salem Witch Trials is uncertain, although it was most likely a combination of factors. …show more content…
Therefore, during this time witchcraft was viewed and actionized as those convicted of consorting with the devil were deemed criminals under British law, which served as the foundation for the legal system of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (Roach, 2004). The Salem Witch Trials support the view that courts uphold an unequal social order in many ways. The Salem Witch Trials demonstrate the value of judicial oversight in protecting individuals from false accusations. Some of those who advocated in 1787 that a Bill of Rights was vital for the establishment of the Constitution were undoubtedly aware of the treatment of the "Salem witches" and how they had been denied the rights to which they should have been granted under English common law (Purdy, 2016). After the Bill of Rights was passed, courts interpreted the First Amendment to say that slander and defamation were not constitutionally protected. Gender inequality was a major factor in many of the Salem Witch Trials. A woman's primary responsibility in 1692 was to conceive a child and care for her

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