Salem Witch Trials (US HISTORY) - Research Paper Example

17th century North America was characterized by beliefs in supernatural powers. People believed that supernatural beings played a role in everyday life. There was also strong believes that Satan was active on earth. The concept of supernatural beings emerged from Europe and quickly spread to North America during the period of colonization. It was believed that peasants practiced witchcraft by invoking charms for agriculture and farming. The principles of white magic moved to dark magic. This was associated with evil spirits and demons.

Witchcraft persecutions became a common event in Massachusetts because people associated witchcraft with the devil. Most women and men in Salem believed that the misfortunes experienced in the society were related to the work of Satan and his agents on earth (Fradin and Dennis 51). The agents were believed to be witches and were accused of overseeing occurrences such as the death of an infant, crop failure and disasters. King James II placed Sir Edmund Andros as the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony after the Royal Charter was vacated in 1684.

In 1689, the new governor was overthrown following a revolution called the Glorious Revolution. The revolution ousted King James II and replaced him with a protestant ruler. The new ruler lacked the constitutional power or authority to rule. After the king was overthrown, disputes emerged between the colonial settlers in North America. The tensions led to a war in which a number of English settlers were repeatedly attacked (Goss 18). The war forced the settlers to leave their settlements and seek refuge in Essex County.

Later, a charter for a bigger Province in Massachusetts was given. In the absence of a valid charter to rule the colony, the colonialists and their administrators did not have a legitimate government that could handle capital cases. Massachusetts had a village called Salem Village that was known for internal disputes. The