Paper Topic:

Causes of the Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Trials : Evidence-Based Possible Causes

O Christian Martyr Who for Truth could die

When all about thee Owned the hideous lie

The world , redeemed from superstition 's sway

Is breathing freer for thy sake today

Historians have asked the question , what caused the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 ' for over three hundred years . There are numerous theories many of which are viable explanations . Research has shown that it was not just one cause the led to the Salem Witch Trials , but a combination of things that led to the trials

. The leading arguments by researchers are that the residents of Salem suffered from mass hysteria and ergot poisoning and that the surrounding political and societal factors influenced accusations of witches . In the following essay , the main arguments of historians and researchers in regards to the causes of the trials will be discussed

Nineteen men and women were hung at Gallows Hill in Salam Massachusetts between the months of June and September of 1962 . One man , over the age of eighty , was crushed to death by rocks for not submitting himself to trial on witchcraft charges . Hundreds of others were accused , with dozens imprisoned , waiting for trial . The first three girls to be accused of witchcraft in Salem were Tituba , Sarah Good , and Sarah Osborn all of which will be discussed further in this

From June through September of 1692 , nineteen men and women , all having been convicted of witchcraft , were carted to Gallows Hill , a barren slope near Salem Village , for hanging . Another man of over eighty years was pressed to death under heavy stones for refusing to submit to a trial on witchcraft charges . Hundreds of others faced accusations of witchcraft dozens languished in jail for months without trials until the hysteria that swept through Puritan Massachusetts subsided

Political and Societal Influences

In to understand the causes of the Salem Witch Trials , one must investigate Salem 's immediate history before the trials , as well as the political factors occurring during the mid-to late 1600s . The political landscape of Salem Village during this time period was volatile . There were approximately 600 residents in Salem Village who were divided into two groups . One group , located in western Salem , wanted to separate itself from Salem Village , these men and women were farmers who believed their Puritan values were being corrupted by the individualism that was caused by the thriving economy . The second group of residents , located in eastern Salem , wanted to remain in Salem because of its thriving economy . Salem 's rich harbors were cause for its thriving economy

Salem 's economy began to tighten however , towards the end of the 1600s as profits dwindled , anxieties heightened . As tempers flared , families went against other families , old against young , wealthy against the poor it was a very difficult time in Salem . The anxieties among Salem 's residents made it easy for suspicion against fellow residents to grow

Tim Sutter , identifies one particular farming family as being quite aggressive in their...

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