Salem Witch Trials

In order to regulate what was sinful and what was not, the Puritans created a legal system. The system was bible based but was very biased in favor of the rich and respected Puritans. Puritan prosecutors could literally do anything they wanted in the court room. They were allowed to redirect questions, badger, interrupt, and even hit a witness if they felt like it. Ministers were often times called upon to interpret the reasons and responses of accused witches.

Witchcraft has come a long way from many different places. The basis of all the Salem Witc

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This was meant to state that there was probably no such thing as witchery. She also said that Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and others had also signed the book. This was enough reason for court authorities to suspect witchcraft was the cause of the illness.

After the trials, the people felt that Satan was still around them and that he had convinced people to believe that innocent people were witches. Most, however, were not emotionally or intellectually equipped to defend themselves against a hanging court and hysterical witnesses. Poppets, or voodoo dolls, and potions were used to arrest and try suspected witches. However, this separation did not wipe away the history of the witch trials from its past. Salem Village separated from Salem Town in 1752 and became the town of Danvers. Bridget was hung in an official execution on June 10 while declaring one last time, “I am no witch. Tituba was an Indian slave bought by Elizabeth’s father. Ministers from nearby communities met in Salem Village “to lead a public day of fasting and prayer, and to question the afflicted girls about what had caused their disturbing behavior” (Linde, 183).

The process of the trials started out with citizens making complaints against individuals who they felt were bewitched. Tituba baked a “witch cake” for Elizabeth. (Linde, 12)

This was just the beginning to many executions. Elizabeth Parris, however, was not bewitched; she was merely sick.

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Approximate Word count = 2429
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)

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