We were assigned to do a history day project in my world history class.
Me and my two partners chose the Salem witch trials. We chose a media presentation,
so we did a re-enactment and recorded it. This is the thesis paper that went
with the video. It has some good historical information as well as a lot of my
personal opinion. I thought some of you might be interested.
"She is a witch! She Afflicts me! ," sayeth most of the young women in a small
Massachusetts town named Salem. The witchcraft trials of Salem, Massachusetts
started around March 1, 1692, and the final hanging day was September 22, 1692.
They killed twenty-one people during the trials. Twenty people were hung, and
Giles Corey was pressed to death with large boulders. Many more were tried,
convicted, and placed in a jail to rot. Many died in jail, and the rest were
released after the witch craze.
The question of where the victims of this horrible act of mass murder were
buried still remains unanswered to this day. In the aftermath of the trials Jurors
and magistrates apologized; restitution was made to the victims' families and a
Day of Fasting and Remembrance was instituted. Three-hundred years latter a
remembrance of those killed was erected, and proper graves were given to those who
died.
Most of the women and men killed were not even associated with witchcraft.
Essentially in those days if your neighbor thought you stole his pig he could accuse
you of being a witch, make up a fantastic story about how you floated through his
bedroom, and you would be convicted and more than likely hung. Should someone who is
different be killed for that reason? Just because you don't agree with a person's
point of view should you have the right to kill them? I think this is one of our
history's great crimes. I am partially biased because of my religious beliefs. Yes,
I'm a witch.
Anytime people are unjustly accused and have there freedoms or life taken away
from them, this is obviously a tragedy. I feel any situation where somebody loses a
life or is prosecuted on the basis of something as spectral evidence, is a tragedy.
Another tragedy in this unfortunate time in history, is that the masses were convinced
by the few who lied to protect them selves from being convicted of a misdeed. I feel
this is a wake up call to all, especially if the old adage is true, and history does
repeat itself.
However, on the other hand we managed to get over this time of fear and rage rather
quickly. It lasted no more than a year. As a result to date many different religious
beliefs are accepted and tolerated in today's society. We are able to practice various
religious beliefs without persecution. Witchcraft (Wicca) has been a recognized religion
in the United States since 1981. I chose this topic because of a few different reasons.
One reason is that I am a practitioner of the Wiccan religion. Wicca is a pagan, earth based,
polytheistic religion. We in no way, shape, or form believe or worship any evil entities
such As the devil or hell. Wicca is practiced by a large group of people throughout the
world. The second reason I chose this topic is that I have always been interested is how
people can be so caught up in a religion it would lead them to harm others or themselves.
The witch trials is just one example of this type of hysteria.
For more information on the Salem Witch Trials click here to go to the
Salem Witch Museum.
