Historical Journalism At The Salem Witch Trials - 863 Words

Historical Journalism at the Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials are one of the best known outbreaks of hysteria and fear in American history. This event began when Betty Parris, who was a daughter of Salem’s church’s minister, and Abigail Williams, who was her cousin, experiences several occasions of odd, violent behavior that they blamed on witchcraft. They accused two white women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne, as well as a slave, Tituba, of practicing witchcraft in the village. The three women were arrested, interrogated, and kept in jail (Plouffe 1587). Hysteria and fear quickly spread throughout the village. Eventually, nineteen people were executed for witchcraft, about one hundred people spent time in jail, and about two hundred people were accused (â€Å"Salem Witch Trials†). Although the reasons behind this massive burst of terror seem clear and simple, there are actually several aspects of the trials that should be more closely examined. Topics th at need to be analyzed include the ties between Puritanism and witchcraft, the difficult and obscure nature of the witchcraft accusations, and the socioeconomic factors within the village that led to the witch trials themselves. There is no denying that the belief, and fear, of witchcraft is heavily intertwined with Puritan theology. Puritanism is a very strict, reserved religion in which people are expected to live and act for God only. The presence of the devil was taken just as seriously as the belief of God. InShow MoreRelatedComparing The Crucible and Salem Witch Trials Essay1419 Words   |  6 Pagesand contrast Arthur Miller’s The Crucible with the actual witch trials that took place in Salem in the 17th Century. Although many of the characters and events in the play were non-fictional, many details were changed by the playwright to add intrigue to the story. While there isn’t one specific cause or event that led to the Salem witch trials, it was a combinatio n of events and factors that contributed to the birth and growth of the trials. Some of these events included: a small pox outbreak thatRead MoreEssay about Arthur Miller1626 Words   |  7 Pagesearning enough money to attend college. It was after reading Dostoevskys novel The Brothers Karamazov that Arthur Miller decided he wanted to become a writer. In the fall of 1934 Miller entered the University of Michigan where he began his study of journalism. During his years there he won several awards for his playwriting. In 1938, after earning a degree in English, Miller returned to New York. There, he joined the Federal Theatre Project, and wrote scripts for such radio programs as Columbia WorkshopRead MoreThe History of American Literature3501 Words   |  15 Pagesincorporated many of the fundamentals of fiction, making use of characters, dramatic action and setting. The Salem witch trials of 1692 were another period in early American history that affected literature. As accusations of witchcraft in a Massachusetts town resulted in the execution of 14 women and 6 men, Cotton Mathers The Wonders of the Invisible World (1693) documented the events of the witch trials. Cotton Mather remained an important literary figure in the 18th century. His Magnalia Christi Americana