Analysis of an American Trial: The Salem Witch Trials :: American America History

Analysis of an American Trial The Salem catch TrialsThe Salem Witch Trials all began on January 20, 1692, with nine-year-old Elizabeth Betty Parris and eleven-year-old Abigail Williams, daughter and niece of the village empyrean Samuel Parris, beginning to exhibit strange behavior, such as blasphemous screaming, fitful seizures, trance-like states and mysterious spells. Within a short period of time, several other(a) Salem girls began to illustrate similar behavior physicians resolved that the girls were under the get word of Satan. Reverend Parris conducted prayer services and public fasting in hopes of relieving the immorality forces that tormented them. In an effort to expose the enchantress, one spell baked a witch cake made with rye bran and the water of the ill girls. This counter-magic was meant to reveal the identities of the witched to the ailing girls. Pressured to identify the cause of their misfortune, the girls named three women, including Tituba, Samuel Parris sl ave, as witches. On February 29, warrants were dispatched for the arrests of Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne. Although Osborne and Good sustained guiltlessness, Tituba confessed to seeing Lucifer, who appeared to her sometimes like a hog and sometimes like a great dog. Whats more, Tituba certified that at that place was a collaboration of witches at work in Salem. On expose 1, Magistrates ass Hathorne and Jonathon Corwin investigated the three women in the courthouse in Salem Village. Tituba confessed to pursuing pitch-black magic. Over the next few weeks, other villagers came forward and testified that they too had been traumatized by or had seen strange phantoms of some of the village members. As the witch-hunting prolonged, charges were made toward galore(postnominal) different populate. Frequently unmasked were women whose behavior was somehow disturbing to the social night club and formalities of the time. Some of the accused had records of unlawful pastimes, inclu ding witchery, but others were faithful churchgoers and people of high status in the society. From Mid-March to early April, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Proctor, and Sarah Cloyce were accused of witchcraft. Soon afterward Corey, Nurse, and Proctor were examined before Magistrates Hathorne, Corwin, Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth, and Captain Samuel Sewall. During this analysis, John Proctor was also jailed. Then Abigail Hobbs, Bridget Bishop, Giles Corey and bloody shame Warren were taken into account. The whole one to confess was Hobbs. On April 22, Nehemiah Abbot, William and Deliverance Hobbs, Edward and Sara Bishop, Mary Easty, Mary Black, Sarah Wildes, and Mary English were examined before Hathorne and Corwin.