Through the respect of minister Cotton Mather had warned of the dubious value of speculations, “It would be better than ten suspected witches mayescape that one innocent person be condemned.”The Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, when a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil. It was found that there was fungus ergot (found in rye, wheat and other cereals) which toxicologist say can cause symptoms such as delusions, vomiting and
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Three Sovereigns There was once a small city in Massachusetts called Salem. Taking place in the very late 1600s, cases of witchcraft took the city by storm known as the “Salem Witch Trials”. The trials resulted in the execution of 20 individuals and imprisoned hundreds more. Two of the women executed (Rebecca and Mary) were the sisters of a woman named Sarah Cloyce. They were hung during the Salem Witch Trials. Sarah herself was unlawfully arrested, but was fortunate enough to not be
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us would, but only to an extent. One of the most known events more than likely known by this was the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The Salem Witch Trials were caused by many other things as well. However, the main causes of the trials were town division, lying girls, and jealousy. As above, the first reason for the Salem Witch Trials was town division. “The people in the western half of Salem Village farmed poorer land and lost political power” (Document E). What this means is that ultimately
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that there were more people involved in the bewitching of the girls. Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse (both faithful to the church and the community) were questioned and named guilty. As more and more people confessed, more and more were named. The trials had very soon escalated to such a point that in April of 1692, Deputy Governor William Phipps decided to have the Special Court of Oyer hear the cases and the Terminer would decide for the cases for the Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex counties. Johnathon
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What Caused the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692? In the year of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts, the devil took the souls of weak-willed people, which were wizards and witches. This event was called the Salem Witch Trials, which consisted of numerous people allegedly practicing witchcraft. To prevent the witchcraft they hunted and tried the accused. The punishment for practicing witchcraft was death. Every historian had a different thought on what caused the event. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum
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Imagine eating some bread one day and the next being accused of witchery? That was exactly what occurred in the Salem Witch trials of 1692. When neighbors turned on each other and loyalties were broken in this tragic event. In the Spring of January 1692, a few girls in the village of Salem started to experience strange behavior. Muscle contortions, seizures, and sudden bursts of screaming. After the doctor said that it was a case of bewitchment, the girls immediately started to accuse their neighbors
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The Salem Witch trials The Salem witch trials were a series of accusations and executions taking place in Salem Massachusetts, a harsh growing environment. The strict religion in Salem made witchcraft sound abominable and needing to be stopped. During the trials many innocent civilians were convicted along with animals. When humans were accused of witchcraft they had various types of tests to check and sometimes lead to accidental death. Puritans were very religious and believed their religion
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"Burn her! Hang her! Kill the witch!", the crowd yelled as young woman was being accused for witchcraft. She was caught in an alley performing strange rituals on a dog. In Massachusetts over twenty five thousand men, woman, and even children were accused of witchcraft. According to, Mitchoff, Kate Housten, author of, "Salem Witch Trials, the trials lasted from around 1600 to about 1700. Although not all guilty most were punished in inhuman ways. Because witchcraft wasn’t legal, anyone accused would
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allegations on how the Salem Witch Trials started. Of course, there will never be a definite answer, but there is a theory that is very convincing. Ergot poisoning. A fungus that infects rye has a byproduct called ergotamine, which is related to Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, or LSD. Linnda Caporael, a psychology major at U.C. Santa Barbara, was told to choose a subject for a paper in her American History class. Her just seeing a production of “The Crucible” she began to write about the witch-hunt. "As I started
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As the trials were starting to be resolved more political leaders started to step up and take responsibility for their part in the trials. Samuel Sewall walked into church and confessed to his sins and asked to take the blame for the Salem events and to be forgiven (Magoon 71). As more people started confessing their inaccuracy more and more people started to follow suit. Even public leaders started to apologize which risked their power. After Sewalls public apology 12 men who served as jurors made
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