Salem Witch Trials Cause And Effects

The Salem Witch Trials began in the spring of 1692 after a group of young girls claimed that they were being possessed by the devil and blamed several local women of witchcraft. (Salem Witch Trials) Panic spread throughout Massachusetts and a special court gathered to hear the variety of widespread cases. About 150 men and women were later accused in the following months and the hysteria continued. However, by September of 1692, public opinion began to turn away from these trials and later the courts annulled guilty verdicts against these women and granted indemnities to the families. (Salem Witch Trials) Many still question today the actual causes of the Salem Witch Trials and how they came about. It is believed that political battles for power, changes occurring in the role of women, and religious uncertainty …show more content…
Firstly, at the time of this tragic event, there was a widespread belief in the devil which many of the villagers feared immensely. They believed that satan was present and he was acting in the world. They also believed that satan recruited witches and wizards to work for him and to do evils against other humans around them. There were certain symptoms that were assumed they corresponded with affliction of witchcraft and if any person demonstrated anything remotely like that, people were terrified. The town was also already in desperate times of trouble as a result of the recent outbreak of smallpox as well as the frontier wars with the indians. Teenage boredom also could have played a huge role as it is predicted that many accusations were made up by the girls and were schemed together beforehand so that their stories were correspond. (Causes for the Outbreak of Witchcraft Hysteria in Salem) The Salem Witch Trials were criticized exclusively after it occurred but witch hunting continues to be present around