SALEM WITCH TRIALS BY ABBY JOHNSON The Salem

SALEM WITCH TRIALS BY ABBY JOHNSON

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria WHAT WERE THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS? The Salem Witch Trials were a series of witchcraft cases brought before local magistrates in a settlement called Salem which was a part of the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 17 th century Ever since those dark days ended, the trials have become synonymous with mass hysteria and scapegoating

The Salem Witch Trials officially began in February of 1692 Investigations and persecutions… “Witches” to be hanged, suspects imprisoned Ended in May of 1693, when the remaining victims were released from jail

DID YOU KNOW? In an effort to explain by scientific means the strange afflictions suffered by those "bewitched" Salem residents in 1692, a study published in Science magazine in 1976 cited the fungus ergot (found in rye, wheat and other cereals), which toxicologists say can cause symptoms such as delusions, vomiting and muscle spasms.

WHAT CAUSED THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS? • The exact cause of the Salem Witch Trials is unknown but they were probably a number of causes. Suggested theories are: conversion disorder, epilepsy, ergot poisoning, Encephalitis, Lyme disease, unusually cold weather, factionalism, socio-economic hardships, family rivalries and fraud • Also, In 17 th century Massachusetts, people often feared that the Devil was constantly trying to find ways to infiltrate and destroy Christians and their communities. • As a devout and strongly religious community living in near isolation in the mysterious New World, the community of Salem had a heightened sense of fear of the Devil and, as a result, it didn’t take much to convince the villagers that there was evil among them.

THE TRIALS

DISCUSSION QUESTION Hawthorne, I think, uses Young Goodman Brown to represent the 17 th century New England Puritan mindset. He seems to be linking Brown's loss of faith with the violence of the witchcraft trials that followed--even though he doesn't actually describe those trials or violent episodes. My guess is Hawthorne chose to focus on the psychology of guilt that led to the violence… … What makes the tale scary to me is that the frightening tone of the story has reallife parallels that are more shocking than any fiction could be. What do you all think?

WORKS CITED • https: //www. history. com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials • https: //www. britannica. com/event/Salem-witch-trials