Introduction
The Salem Witch Trials is a broad name that describes a series of trials and persecutions of people accused of practicing witchcraft during British colonial rule of what is the United States today. These trials occurred between February 1692 and May 1693 in colonial Massachusetts. Prior to 1692, there had been rumors that some villages surrounding Salem. This created a level of suspicion. However in February 1692, the daughter and niece of a priest began to experience unusual situations and feelings in Salem. They complained about coming under some fits and confessed to being bewitched. Thus, three accused women were charged and questioned by a judge. This included a slave girl known for telling fortunes and two other young ladies who were believed to have practiced witchcraft in the past. At the end of it, twenty people were executed and this included fourteen women.
Characteristics of Colonial America and its Impact on the Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials occurred mainly because the king of England was considered to be the representative of God in England and its colonies. As such, everyone who practiced acts that were contrary to God’s words was considered to be someone the king had to personally punish. The Bible says in Exodus 22:18 that “suffer not a witch to live.” This meant that witchcraft was something to be abhorred and any act considered to be linked to witchcraft or devil worship was frowned upon. There were numerous teachings that showed that people were to do things that were normal otherwise their actions were to be seen to be connected to something supernatural and hence linked to witchcraft.
As such, people justified the need to take action against alleged witches. New England, which was part of Britain’s North American colony had been settled by Puritans who sought to create a Bible-based society. As such, the people sought to find ways to ensure that there was no witchcraft. Numerous writings had stated the fact that witchcraft was real.
There had been numerous actions and processes through which New England had created methods of detecting and handling alleged witches. Thus, there had been systems of identifying people who were suspected of being witches. These methods had existed throughout the Middle Ages in Italy, France, Germany, England Spain and other parts of Europe where the practice of lynching and killing people. Although it was new in the United States, it had gone on for a long time in Europe. From the 14th to 15th Century, it is estimated that 40,000 to 50,000 people had been executed for alleged witchcraft.
Popes in Europe instituted various forms of inquisition whereby people could be charged and investigated for witchcraft. These practices became common in the United States and rumors continued to thrive. Accusation of witchcraft came with the need for the provision of evidence to charge people. This included finding things like the devil’s marks and past actions of people that made them look like negative or evil people in order to convict people. Thus, these practices became common and people in the United States began to adopt them. There were practices like throwing people into waterbodies. If they floated, it meant they were witches. If they sunk, it meant they were not witches. These practices grew in Medieval Europe and several Americans knew about it.
American Ideals and Philosophies that led to the Salem Witch Trials
Massachusetts’ system was dominated by Puritan Conservatives. These leaders used various ideas of creating a perfect society where the Church and state was separated. This included the need to eliminate all forms of negative conducts and negative people including alleged witches and abnormal things and people. Thus, there was the need for the use of a common prayer book, use of priestly vestments and other forms of Christian acts that were seen as an inherent part of the society.
However, numerous forms of conflicts and ideologies came up and there were the view that Satan was alive and real. There was the belief that there were spirits and demons who broke down society and there was the need to hunt down witches and ensure that spiritually, the colony was free of witchcraft and evil.
Thus, healers and people who could foretell the future and do things that were considered to be supernatural were considered witches who did the work of the devil. However, some preachers printed pamphlets showing the extent to which witchcraft was common and people were to accept and deal with witchcraft. This was serious and many people considered it in many ways and forms. This created a moral panic which laid the foundation for the witch trials and mass executions.
Personal Perspective
The Salem witch-trials were negative and a dark chapter of US history. The United States was a modern nation supposed to be different from the rest of the world. As such, efforts should have been made to limit and prevent people from abusing the law and lynching innocent people. Thus, the situation was one that was wrong and bad and carried with it a lot of moral negativity.
However, at that time, this practice of attacking and hanging witches was common in Europe. Thus, it was natural that some parts of the United States could fall into that low and shallow level for the United States. Thus, it was something that happened rather less often than could have potentially happened.
In spite of this, the Salem Witch Trials could have been limited if there was a good constitution and there was the rights of people in the villages. However, due to superstitions and what people said and their neighbors suspected as well as disputes laid the foundation for false accusations to occur. Thus, there was no legal system that was robust and powerful enough to deal with issues and matters. This way, the whole situation got out of hand and there could be room for these shameful acts to occur.
References
Hudson, C. (2016). Witch Trials: Discontentoin in Early Modern Europe . Wokring Paper No. HEIDWP11-2016.
Llera, K. (2013). A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials . School Library Journal 59 (9), 65.
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