Question

Why was there a witchcraft scare in Massachusetts in 1692? The answer has to over 200 words.

Answer 1

North America was home to many British colonies, including the colony of Massachusetts for years before the Declaration of Independence. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was done by Puritan colonists.

During the period of unrest in Salem, Massachusetts there were struggles between the Salem Village and Salem Town. The farmers resided in Salem Village were tend towards separating from Salem Town. They formed their own church with Reverend Samuel Parris was the president. Reverend Parris' daughter and niece was the reason for the beginning of Salem Witch Trials. Both of them came up with a strange disease in early 1692.The doctor was not able to find any physical abnormality with the two girls, it was decided they must have been bewitched. They blamed at Parris' Indian slave, Tituba, as the one who had oppressed them. For the case, Tituba was jailed and later sold to pay off her jail fees.

The girls also criticized homeless woman Sarah Good and an elderly woman, Sarah Osborne for the same. These women had not attended church in over a year, which was considered as a sin among the Puritans. Tituba admitted her involvement in witchcraft but, both Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good did not, until their death.

Through the year 1962 more people were blamed for practising witchcraft, more than 200 people from Salem and bordering towns were accused of practising witchcraft. Many were hanged including Sarah Good and many died while awaiting their trials. The majority of the accused did not accept the charge until they were hanged.

By the end of the year, in October 1692, the witchcraft trials ended. Most of accused were forgiven and many lost everything they owned in order to pay the debt of imprisonment. After five years Samuel Parris and his family moved to another town in Massachusetts. The overwhelming effects of the trials lasted long after they had gone.

Mass witch hunting was not a practice in North America before the Salem hysteria banged. People were at height of fear that the authority will unleash death from the forest at any time. The whole society was treacherous and felt it as the edge of civilization. Therefore the 1692 events must be emphasized as the exceptional circumstances that facilitated the Later on colony admitted the trials were a mistake and compensated the families of those convicted. From that time the story of the trials has become synonymous with paranoia and injustice.