The Salem Witchcraft Trials

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the cause of Salem's witchcraft hysteria was not the work of the Devil, but more likely the lust for power exhibited by church leaders. The paper examines how the Salem Witchcraft Trials conflict developed into social upheaval as a result of disorder in the legal system. The paper examines how this upheaval began with the loss of the original charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, then, a colonial power struggle in the aftermath of James II's deposition in the Glorious Revolution. The paper further examines how the lack of settled English rules of trial law and the question of reliable of evidence, particularly with respect to spectral evidence, further aggrandized the disorder.

Outline:
Abstract
Role of the Massachusetts State in the Witchcraft Craze of 1692
Salem's Elite During the Craze
Salem as a Theocracy
The Trials as Dramatic Performance
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The young girls who testified in open court about the effect of witchcraft on the people of Salem added to the drama by responding to invisible pinches and kicks from evil spirits, rolling about on the floor and screaming in agony . These reactions, perceived by the magistrates, many of whom were given that power because of their high rank in the church, used their religious training as a substitute for familiarity with the laws in place at the time and made rulings strictly on the basis of what they perceived to be God's will, and not the burden of law."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hoffer, Peter C. The Salem Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1997.

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