Salem Witch Trials - Coursework Example

Salem Witch Trials: The Dynamics of a Botched Justice Details: al Affiliation: Salem Witch Trials: The Dynamics of a Botched Justice 1. Why were both men and women accused of being witches? The accusations that led to the Salem Witch Trials, culminating into the hanging of several men and women in Salem originated from the strange and disorderly behaviors from a group of girls that included screaming alongside peculiar utterances while contorting themselves into strange positions, leading William Griggs, the village doctor, who validated his analysis by the direct name calling confessions in the cries by tormented young girls, to conclude that they, the girls, were indeed victims of witchcraft.12. What were their lives like after being accused?

Who accused them and why? From being free to being a captive with suspended rights, the jail conditions of accused were but harsh, with the accused witches often tied for months inside cold flooded, foul smelling cells; in effect, forcing many innocent prisoners to accepted their punishment for offences they knew little about.2 Those who attempted to escape would immediately be executed when caught. The examinations for evidence were humiliating at best, for the accused were often stripped naked and tortured even more to confess.

The accusers were but a section of the puritans with strong beliefs in the existence of demonic sprits and the associated control over every bad thing in life; and was the case when their children begun behaving contrary to their doctrinal beliefs, leading to the Salem witchcraft accusations. 3. What were the trials like? The accused witches were taken before appointed magistrates, literally questioned, with their accusers appearing in the courtrooms in a grand display of name calling screams and writhing of the supposed demonic spirit possessed young girls, which to the disbelief of many, were the complete evidence in the trials. 4. Why did the witch scare happen mainly in Puritan New England?

Belief in the dangers of supernatural powers had long been cultivated by the community, and that the challenges such as the after effects of the wars, smallpox epidemic, among other conflicts as well the soaring crime rates only cemented the simmering tensions and fears. 5. Were the Judges corrupt?No. Nonetheless, the judges of the case like the locals had a bias against witches, in end delivering verdicts that more than appeased the powerful interests at stake. ReferencesConlin, Joseph. The American past: a survey of American history, 3d ed.

San Diego: Harcourt Press, 1990.  Roach, Marilynne K. In the Days of the Salem Witchcraft Trials. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.