A Theory About Witches Living In Salem - Free Essay Example

Youre a wizard, Harry! This famous quote from J. K. Rowlingrs Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, gives Harry Potter a new, positive look on life. The women accused of being witches also heard this and had a new look on life, but not in a positive way. Those words meant the end of their life. In 1692, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft in a seven month period full of fear and worry, now infamously known as the Salem Witch Trials. Life was quite different in colonial New England than today. Arianne Pinchukrs article Religion in New England Colonies tells how religion was a major part of everyday life. According to her article, the Puritans felt they were superior to anyone who was not a Puritan, and many non-Puritans were often mistreated and killed. This relates to the trials because the witches that were convicted were considered followers of the devil, not of God. Another source for this question is an article from the September 7, 2015 edition of the New Yorker. According to Schiffrs article The Witches of Salem, in 1692, a series of mysterious events were blamed on witches living in Salem. Witchcraft was the second capital crime established only after idolatry when the colonists formed a legal code in 1641. Martha Goodwin, one of the defendants, was unable to sufficiently recite the Lordrs Prayer, leading her to be hanged in November of 1688. In conclusion, the article summarizes that the witches were see n as criminals.A third source, an article about Bridget Bishop by Kiera Stevenson, says Bridget Bishop was the first woman to be hanged starting what is now infamously known as the Salem Witch Trials. In early June of 1692, Bishop was accused of witchcraft and was hanged. She died due to peoplers fear of the unknown. Her trial lasted only eight days, after she was accused of every mysterious happenings in Salem, including an illness spreading. When the villagers ministerrs daughter became ill, Bishop was the one blamed. After more and more girls were found sick, the doctor announced the cause to be witchcraft. The village girls were all accusing Bishop of glancing at them and them falling, with her being the only one to revive them. The entire town seemed to have something against Bridget and her case; they watched as she was led up to Gallows Hill to be hanged on June 10, 1692, starting a seven month era of fear and panic.Loiselle Brett wrote an article about the trials. Her article says it all started when three girls went to an Indian slave woman to tell them their fortunes. What started out as a fun time, tuned dreadful when the three girls started having uncontrollable scream ing fits and temporary blindness and deafness. The village doctor was at a loss for the cause and blamed it on witchcraft. By May of 1692, the prisons were overflowing with witches; the townrs legal system was stressed because they could not hold any trials. The colony did not have a charter and the town magistrates felt they did not have the power to hold capital trials. It was not until the new governor Sir William Phips, arrived on May 14, 1692 that the trials could begin. It was when the governorrs own wife was accused that he disbanded the court and the trials were ended on October 29, 1692.The answer is no one really knows. It has been shown that true magic is impossible. The closest answer that has been found is that the people were scared and science was not advanced enough to find a true answer, so everyone blamed it on what they knew, which at the time was religion. In conclusion, the Salem Witch Trials was simply a sickness that swept over the village of Salem could have been something as simple as an ear infection or a panic attack, not witchcraft.