Salem Witch Trials

Milhim, Laurent

Dr. Macia

26 April 2011

ENC1101 5:00-6:15 MW

Salem Witch Trials

The year 1692 was by far one of the most tragic years in American history, also hysteria. Throughout the year, a massive number of individuals either were deceased or came to a near-death experience. In the town of Salem, Massachusetts, there lived a village full of Puritan individuals. “Puritans are the supremacy of divine will” (Karlsen). By Karlsen’s statement, he affirms that they are a God-centered society, speaking in theocracy. Puritans believed in predestination. They alleged that whom-ever was saved or died was God’s choice; it was after all, a master plan. For the reason of subjugation in England, in 1630, a group of 1,200 Puritans gathered a royal charter to set sail and reconcile in the region of Massachusetts Bay. The Puritans began their settlement in Salem, Massachusetts. According to Burgan, the Puritans settled in Massachusetts so they can improve worship as they chose.
During the process of their settlement, the Puritans established laws. These laws limited the puritans very so, being based on religious matter. In the village of Salem, suspicions of witchcraft arose when a few of the accused individuals were Salem citizens. “Salem was the first and only town in Massachusetts that held the hunting of witches” (Burgan 4). The psychological rationale of suspicions or accusations of witchcraft was hatred, jealousy, paranoia, and authority.
According to Campbell, “Witchcraft became a craze during the year of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts”.   Witchcraft is the alleged use of magical or supernatural powers. “Witchcraft was the use of magical powers” (Sommerville). Witchcraft expert states that witchcraft was broadly used to implicate the practice of powers to cause harm or destruction on a community. Experts also agree that the concept of witchcraft being injurious is habitually treated as a cultural ideology. This states that the majority of individuals...