Puritans and Salem Witch Trials Essay - 2271 Words

Puritans and the Salem Witch Trials During the time period of 1691 to 1692 the town of Salem, a small thriving community within the Puritan Massachusetts Bay colony, was struck by widespread hysteria in the form of witch trials. The way these trials and accusations played out are historically unlike any other witch trials found in European and American history. Historians have pointed to a number of economic, political, and social changes of the then existing institutions throughout the Massachusetts Bay area to be the cause of the Salem witch trials, along with the direction they took. If studied closely however, it becomes apparent that the main cause for the Salem witch trials can be found in the way the people of Salem viewed and†¦show more content†¦Anne Hutchinson held meetings at her house on Sundays to recall what had been said during the church sermon as well as to add her own ideas and thoughts on the topics that were being discussed. At first this seemed very normal but when her teachings began i nfluencing people to pull away from the other Puritans, Winthrop recognized this as a problem. Anne Hutchinson taught others of her numerous propositions, which opposed the purpose of this excursion to New England. Morgan states that, Mrs. Hutchinson’s beliefs, â€Å"†¦threatened the fundamental conviction on which the Puritans built their state, their churches, and their daily lives, namely that God’s will could be discovered only through the bible† (Morgan). Anne Hutchinson was in fact an Antinomian, she opposed the fixed meaning of God’s moral law that Winthrop had worked so hard to teach these people. As a result, Mrs. Hutchinson was causing a huge threat to the settlers. She was trying to manipulate others to share her religious beliefs. Winthrop would not tolerate such behavior, as she was behaving sinfully, she must be punished accordingly or else as Winthrop believed, they would all suffer from God’s wrath. Winthrop took Mrs. Hutchinso n to a court hearing and after a long, battle it was decided by the court that Mrs. Hutchinson was to be banished from Massachusetts. Mrs. Hutchinson was set as an example for the others who mayShow MoreRelatedPuritans And The Salem Witch Trials978 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Puritans had many beliefs that affected the Salem Witch Trials, these were based on how the attendance or lack of attendance of the church, how people should behave, social class, and the way the government should be handled. Puritans were English Protestants that came to America in 1630. They sought to reform the Church of England. When they first came to America they settled at Salem, Massachusetts. The main reason the Puritan’s came to Salem was for freedom of religion which theyRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials For The Puritan Community1398 Words   |  6 Pages A Town Submerged in Hysteria Cornelius Asmerom History To 1877 Professor Corye Beene October 23, 2014 The Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials were a devastating time period in 1692 for the Puritan community which resulted in 20 innocent people executed. Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts 9 years before the Puritans landed in Massachusetts Bay. Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England and ultimately strive to build a utopian society. John Winthrope who was the firstRead MorePuritan Society Of The Salem Witch Trials1793 Words   |  8 Pages Puritan society was a utopia made of strict religious conduct and revolved around God s ultimate path and blessing. Anything that was believed to be sinful or was of material desires would be considered a sin, and later requires extensive prayer for God s forgiveness. 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The Puritans came to the â€Å"New World† for their religious freedom to fallow their ideals for a new way of life, the â€Å"perfect way of life.† They were issuedRead MoreSalem Witch Trials1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a series of trials in which twenty-four people were killed after being accused of practicing witchcraft. These trials were caused by different social climates of the area including the very strong lack of a governor, the split between Salem Village and Salem Town, and the strict puritan lifestyle during the time period. Tituba, the black slave, was a foreigner from Barbados. Her role in society was to take care of Mr. Parris’s fami ly. Tituba’s situation contributedRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trial Hysteria1196 Words   |  5 PagesXochitl Neri Erick Felix In 1692-1693, the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria occurred, resulting in 20 deaths out of the 200 accused of practicing the Devil’s magic, a practice that women were commonly accused of. Salem, Massachusetts, was a colony that consisted of Puritans, both Separatists and non Separatists alike. From the start, the Puritans believed that the Bible was true in all aspects: every word, every idea, every thought--was true. The Puritans also had minimal understanding of science, whichRead MoreWhat Caused the Salem Witch Trials Hysteria? Essay801 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ The salem witch trials hysteria of 1692 was caused by the Puritans strict religious standards and intolerance of anything not accepted with their scripture. The largest account of witch trials as well as deaths by witch trials occurred in Salem, a village heavily populated with the Puritans. Because most of the trials were occurring in Salem, this meant that the accusations were happening among the Puritans themselves, which could very well be anything as long as the Puritans found it as contradicting