Religious Beliefs Were Behind The Salem Witch Trials

The view that religious beliefs were behind the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 is predominantly incorrect. While the Puritan culture’s strong Christian beliefs did dictate the behaviour of New England society, for the authorities that instigated the Witch Trials, religion was a mere justification for their actions that allowed them to gain support by instilling in the masses the fear of a higher power. Their true motives lay in the political and social issues of the time, with Salem Town’s division due to two disputing families, the ever-present fear of smallpox, and the male population’s immense opposition to female independence and sexuality. Thus, while society had strong religious beliefs, they were merely a pretext for the political and social factors of family conflict, disease, and fear of women that were the true bases for the accusations dealt in 1692. While Puritan religious beliefs did contribute to the Salem Witch Trials, it was only to a minor extent as, rather than being the true source of the witchcraft fear, they were used by New England authorities to manipulate and control the public. In the 1600s, religion was the cornerstone of Puritan society, a denomination that originated in England and was established in America with the migration of approximately 9,000 colonists between 1630 and 1645. Already superstitious, with a Christian Church that preached of a God who protected his servants, and a Devil who preyed on the weak, society’s fears were intensifiedShow MoreRelatedHistorical Journalism At The Salem Witch Trials863 Words   |  4 PagesJournalism at the Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials are one of the best known outbreaks of hysteria and fear in American history. 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The three major factors that influenced the Salem Witch Trials were fear,Read MoreThe Salem Witch Trials, The Holocaust, And The Serbian Croatia1109 Words   |  5 PagesMotive is a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious. What is the intended motive behind the massacre of innocents during to Salem Witch Trials, The Holocaust, and the Serbian Croatia Killings? Everyone has a motive for what they are doing even if they are not aware of it. There are two types of motives, those that are truly good and some that are evil. It is hard to tell the difference between the two types because in the eyes of a man it is what they believe andRead MoreThe Trials Of The Salem Witch Trials891 Words   |  4 Pagespeople were unjustly murdered after trials found them guilty of acts of witchcraft. The series of hearings and prosecutions of the accused witches in colonial Massachusetts marks one of the nation s most notorious cases of mass hysteria. 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The role of religion and the presence of mob psychology were the primary