Salem witch trial hearings

To understand the events of the Salem Witch Trials , it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. There were the ordinary stresses of 17th-century life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. A strong belief in the devil, factions among Salem Village families and rivalry with nearby Salem Town combined with a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion.

All would await trial for a crime punishable by death in 17th-century New England — the practice of witchcraft. In June of , the special Court of Oyer to hear and Terminer to decide sat in Salem to hear the cases of witchcraft. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors.

The first to be tried was Bridget Bishop of Salem who was found guilty and was hanged on June Thirteen women and five men from all stations of life followed her to the gallows on three successive hanging days before the court was disbanded by Governor William Phipps in October of that year. This belief in the power of the accused to use their invisible shapes or spectres to torture their victims had sealed the fates of those tried by the Court of Oyer and Terminer.

The new court released those awaiting trial and pardoned those awaiting execution. In effect, the Salem Witch Trials were over. This research covers the comparison comparing of the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy hearings. Back in the 17th century, Americans believed in witchcraft.

For example, if a cow is sick or unfavorable weather, blame was on witchcraft. As a result, witches were immensely feared. The penalty for witchcraft was hanging unless the accused mentioned other witches. The Salem witch trials lasted between and During this time, the accused were prohibited from accessing legal counsel. Judgment was solely based on provided evidence. McCarthy hearings originated from Senator Joseph McCarthy in when he claimed having a list of communists.

The term McCarthyism arose from his style of heavy interrogation and questioning the loyalty of those criticizing him. McCarthyism did not support communism. There are various between the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy hearings. The first is that in both, there is fear. In the Salem community, the belief that the devil gave some people supernatural powers created fear. Two hundred people were convicted, and twenty executed. On November 5, , the Governor of Massachusetts signed the declaration of innocence for the final five women.

Your email address will not be published. Witchcraft at Salem Village, engraving The deposition of Abigail Williams v. George Jacobs, Sr. Related Posts. Project Diana hits the Moon… in Anne Anastasi and Psychological Testing of the Individual. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Tweets by SciHiBlog. January December December 3. November 2.