The Role of Young Women in the Salem Witch Trials Essay...

The term witchcraft is defines as the practice of magic intended to influence nature. It is believed that only people associated with the devil can perform such acts. The Salem Witch Trials was much more than just America’s history, it’s also part of the history of women. The story of witchcraft is first and foremost the story of women. Especially in its western life, Karlsen (1989) noted that â€Å"witchcraft challenges us with ideas about women, with fears about women, with the place of women in society and with women themselves†. Witchcraft also confronts us too with violence against women. Even through some men were executed as witches during the witch hunts, the numbers were far less then women. Witches were generally thought to be†¦show more content†¦Christian Day a practicing warlock from Salem and a Salem tour guide stated female leaders in religion became increasingly rare in the centuries leading up to the witch persecutions (Personal Commu nication, December 2013). They were labeled as hags, sorceress and witches. The use of healing techniques was a major issue in the charging and convicting of a suspected witch. The female healers represents a threat to the church, since they supported the rising of male medical profession. The church believed medicine contained the power of life and death which was a power that belonged to God alone and delegated to his male representatives on earth. Women were often under attack due to their responsibilities surrounding jobs that dealt with the survival of the community, such as cooking food, being a midwife or mother, and tending animals. Karlsen noted that it was believed that witches had substantial control over the health and life of others (p. 19). These were all the jobs that had the prospective of going very wrong very fast. In these professions the women were often liable when someone died or became sick because they couldn’t save them. A midwife who delivered a def ormed or still born child could very well become targeted. Karlsen explained that this usually happened when a mother may have wanted to blame someone for their tragedy and since the midwife was present, they were the ones being accused ofShow MoreRelatedThe Salem Witch Trial Hysteria Of 1692879 Words   |  4 PagesThe Salem Witch Trial hysteria of 1692 caused 20 people to be hung or pressed to death and 4 perished in jail. In addition, 200 people in Salem were accused of being witches. On June 10 of 1692, Bridget Bishop was charged with practicing witchcraft and she was also accused of bewitching her husband to death. The result of her not confessing was that she was hung to her death. All of this frenzy started in the house of Samuel Parris. His daughters were consumed by the bizarre tales told by their IndianRead MoreSalem Witch Trials : A Part Of History1018 Words   |  5 PagesHistory 112 Dr. Patricia Hoskins May 20, 2016 Salem Witch Trials Like Slavery the Salem Witch Trials are a part of history that all would like to erase. In Salem Massachusetts the colonist were mostly made up of Puritans. Puritans were lead on the firm foundation that the Bible was, is and still the only word. This lead to the belief that this was the only way to convict, judge and execute those of a satanic faith, such as witch craft. The Salem Witch Trials were mostly conducted between the monthsRead MoreThe Crucible : Fictional Account Of The Salem Witch Trials1303 Words   |  6 PagesThe 1996 film The Crucible is a fictional account of the Salem witch trials. While there are many historical inaccuracies in the movie, it does capture some of the themes in scholarship on the period. The film presents the town of Salem in a similar way to how it is depicted in the textbook. The film gets the basic outline of the Salem witch trials right. A group of girls started a panic by accusing an enslaved woman and two other women of bewitching them. Dur ing the event more than 200 people wereRead MoreWitchcraft Trials And The Salem Witch Trials893 Words   |  4 PagesThe Salem witchcraft trials took place in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. The news of witches began to spread in Salem when a group of young girls gathered together in the kitchen of the Reverend Samuel Parris with his Indian slave named Tituba to experiment with witchcraft. After these young girls began to portray unusual behavior the village doctor came to the scene and diagnosed the girls to be possessed by the devil. The news of the presence of witches spread throughoutRead MoreSalem Witch Hunt : A Phenomenon Of Witch Trials1499 Words   |  6 Pages The Salem Witch Hunt was a phenomenon of witch trials in the Early Modern period. It occurred in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. It all started when a group of young girls, Betty Parris, 9 years old, and Abigail Williams, 11 years old, started to behave in a crazy manner, like screaming and barking like a dog, and it got to the point where they assumed they were â€Å"possessed†. Soon after that, Ann Putnam Jr. and other Salem girls began acting similarly. People started getting very scared and startedRead MoreEssay on Primary Sources for the Salem Witch Trials1731 Words   |  7 Pagescases of witch-hunting/trails and ultimate executions. The last recorded execution in England of an alleged witch is in 1682, though trials and accusations would still be brought alleged witches right up until the 1800’s both in England and on the continent in most cases /crown rule where witch-hunting/trials and executions took place, probably the most famous and certainly one of the most written about witching episodes is that of Witch Trials of Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Trials took placeRead MoreThe Impact Of The Salem Witch Trials1263 Words   |  6 PagesThe myths surrounding the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 spike the interest of historians and non-academics alike. These trials have been the concern of different historical articles, novels, plays, films, and even religious debates. One issue that is certain, is the hysteria of the community overwhelmed Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693. A particular primary source, â€Å"Accounts of the Salem Witchcraft Trials (1693)† by Cotton Mather, suggests that the actions brought forth provided proof of satanicRead MoreThe Causes of the Salem Witch Trials (DBQ)1337 Words   |  4 Pagesseem preposterous. Any behavior regarded as strange by fellow citizens was sufficient to hold a trial with a sentence of death. Though such scenarios seem unfathomable in our modern culture, it was a reality for hundreds of New England settlers. The causes of the famous outbreak of witch trials in Salem, M assachusetts are rooted in social, economic, and political aspects of the late 17th century Salem community. Early New Englanders were unable to accept the increase in diversity and the break inRead MoreSalem Possessed By Paul Boyer And Stephen Nissenbaum1416 Words   |  6 Pages The Salem Witch trials were more than just accusations and women being sentenced to death. Politics, social status, and way of living back then all played essential roles in the trials which are discussed throughout the book â€Å"Salem Possessed† by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum. The authors touch upon how social status of church members, farmers and community folk impacted who was accused of witchcraft and who was sentenced to death. While times have changed and the laws regarding imprisonmentRead MoreIs Witch Trails A Thing Of The Past?923 Words   |  4 Pages Being that the Salem Witch Trails date back to over three hundred years, many people believe witch trails are a thing of the past. However, modern day witch trails are still extremely prevalent. Modern-day witch-hunts are reported to still b e happening in Africa, the Pacific, Latin America, even in the U.S. and Europe. According to a New York Times article, within the last fifteen years alone, more than 2,000 Indians have been killed after being accused of witchcraft. Almost all of the accused have