Salem_Witch_Trials

Many citizens died either in jail or at the gallows in Salem in 1692 due to the accusations of witchcraft. No one in Salem was safe from the allegations. There are many beliefs as to why these accusations were made and to such a great extent in Salem. It is my opinion that it is due to the community’s strict religious beliefs. Amongst those accused and later hanged were Sarah Good, Mary Easty and Rebecca Nurse. Good was social outcast, and Easty and Nurse were pious and respected women of the community. All three of these women were falsely accused of witchcraft, and they denied the claims stating their innocence. There was one common thread amongst Good, Easty and Nurse. All three women were falsely accused of witchcraft by tormenting the young girls of Salem with their specters or spirits. Good, being an outcast of society was one of the first accused. During Good’s examination some of the girls “shrieked and fell into fits” (“Salem Witch Trials-The People”). The fits were also observed in Easty and Nurse’s examinations as well. While being examined, Nurse was asked if she were innocent. She replied, “I can say before my Eternal father I am innocent, and God will clear my innocency” (“The Salem Witchcraft Papers Vol. 2,” 585). All three women denied the accusations and fought for their freedom until the end. At the gallows just prior to being hanged, Good was urged by Rev. Noyes to repent of her sin. She refused stating, “I am no more a witch than you are a wizard, and if you take away my life God will give you blood to drink”(“Salem Witch Trials-The People”). Many years after the execution of Good, Rev. Noyes died, choking on his own blood (“Salem Witch Trials-The People”). Though there were similarities between the three women, there were also differences. Both Easty and Nurse, who were sisters, had many similarities, while Good had more differences. Good was a homeless beggar and outcast. She would go door-to-door begging and if refused she would walk away mumbling. Many of the townspeople felt that Good’s mumblings were what caused their failed crops and death of their livestock (“Salem Witch Trials-The People”). When examined, Good stated that she was not putting curses on the people of Salem, but she was reciting Psalms (“The Salem Witchcraft Papers Vol. 2,” 358). Easty and Nurse on the other hand were pious and well respected in the community. Both Easty and Nurse owned farms in Salem. It is thought that Nurse was accused of witchcraft due to land disputes between her family and the Putnam family (“Nurse, Rebecca”). This could be the reason why Easty was also accused, since Rebecca Nurse was her sister. Unlike Easty and Good, Nurse was excommunicated from the church just before she was hanged on July 19, 1692 (“Nurse, Rebecca”). All three women were falsely accused of their crimes with minimal evidence to back up the claims. Good, Easty and Nurse were all accused of practicing witchcraft and tormenting some of the young girls in Salem. Though there was little evidence given to back the accusations, all three women were tried and condemned based on those claims. The young girls on separate occasions accused Good, Easty, and Nurse’s specters of tormenting them, which lead the magistrates and jurors of Salem to believe that they were guilty. Many of the townspeople felt that Nurse, a seventy-one year old grandmother, had been falsely accused. They petitioned trying to save her from the gallows, but because Nurse was hard of hearing and did not answer the jurors’ questions fully or accurately, she too was found guilty (“Nurse, Rebecca”). The girls’ false accusations lead to many innocent peoples’ imprisonment and death in Salem. The year of 1692 was a very dark time in Salem’s history. There are several claims as to why the witch trials were so prevalent in Salem, but no one cause. I feel that it ultimately was based on the Puritan religion. The people of Salem mostly followed the Puritan religion. They were a very strict and religious group that felt that Satan would pick out the weakest individuals to do his work. Those chosen were considered witches (“Salem Witch Trials-Religion and Witchcraft”). Had the church not been so strict and had individuals been able to think for themselves, I do not think that there would have been so many accusations made. Furthermore, young girls of the community were under a much stricter rule than young boys. Young boys of the community were able to explore and have apprenticeships outside of the house. Whereas, the girls were to do chores, to attend church services, and to repress individual differences (“Salem Witch Trials-Religion and Witchcraft”). I feel that the girl’s outcries were normal child defiance as any child would do under such strict rules. The Puritans left England to get away from religious persecution and to have a more tolerant way of life, but instead they showed no tolerance to their own people. Works Cited "Nurse, Rebecca." Witchcraft in America. Ed. Peggy Saari and Elizabeth Shaw. Vol. 1. Detroit: UXL, 2001. 109-114. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2011. "Salem Witch Trials - 1692 Salem - Religion and Witchcraft - DiscoverySchool.com." Free Teacher Resources | Discovery Education. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. . "Salem Witch Trials - The People - Sarah Good - DiscoverySchool.com." Free Teacher Resources | Discovery Education. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. . "The Salem Witchcraft Papers, Volume 2: Verbatim Transcripts of the Legal Documents of the Salem Witchcraft Outbreak of 1692 / Edited and with an Introduction and Index by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum." University of Virginia Library. Ed. Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. .