salem witchcraft trials cause and effect Essay -- essays research pape

In 1692 the battleground of Salem town and Salem small town became very vulnerable to conflict. Severe weather such as hurricanes had change land and crops, the effects of King Phillips War began to impact New England society, and colonists were universe forced off of the frontiers by Native peoples. The Church and the government were in heavy conflict. And those residing in Salem began to grow suspicious of one an other(a)(prenominal) when some prospered and others hadnt (Marcus, p13).Suddenly people seemed very paranoid and concisely residents were placing blame on one another and accusing each other of witchcraft. In a fifteen month period between 1691 and 1692 or so twelve dozen people were accuse of witchcraft in or near Salem (Norton, p8).Although witch trials were not uncommon in straight-laced New England, none had reached such epidemic proportions as Salem. In 1691 the atomic pile hysteria began when several young girls dabbled in witchcraft and began performing str ange. When villagers took notice the girls were seriously questioned and so they began naming people, mainly woman, who had supposedly catch them (Boyer, p66). Several other who had been accused were woman displayed unfeminine behavior and those who stood to acquire more economic power than most men in the area (Boyer, p66). By 1692 the young girls had continued to make false accusations of townspeople. Many of those accused were townspeople who were more prominent than others. Villagers, such as the young girl...