Running head: The Causes and Effects of the salem witch trials

The Causes and Effects of the Salem Witch Trials

Savannah Clinton
First Colonial High School
Mrs. Disher
December 10th, 2014

The Causes and Effects of the salem witch trials

Abstract
The Salem Witch Trials were the execution and persecution of everyday citizens on the grounds
of witchcraft. The eruption of mass hysteria had many causes, such as the religion and belief
systems of the town. Its many effects are still being felt today, such as in the way courts are run.
Salem was a tragedy that has never been lost to history and will always be remembered.
Keywords: Salem, witches, trials, ergot

The Causes and Effects of the salem witch trials

The Causes and Effects of the Salem Witch Trials

Between 1692 and 1693, mass hysteria broke out over the rumored existence and
residence of witches in colonial Salem. Fellow citizens were persecuted as being affiliated with
Satan. Innocent people were tormented, forced to stand trial, imprisoned, and many were even
killed. No one can be sure of the exact numbers, but well over 200 people were accused. (A Brief
History of the Salem Witch Trials 2014.) There are many theories about the causes surrounding
these tragedies, and though the colony eventually admitted its wrongdoing, it left scars seen even
today.
One of the most influential causes of the Salem Witch trials was religion. Puritanism had
very strong ties in this town, making its people prone to believing in the supernatural. The belief
in the devils active involvement in the world was common. The colonists believed that he
employed witches and warlocks, and that Satans evil could manifest itself in visions. Witches
were thought to curse and torment the living under his command, and were thus a source of
terror for the people of Salem. The congregation was likely to believe anything, and the fear of
what, in their minds, was a great threat, drove them to turn on neighbors and family alike.
Fear turned to action when the first three women were accused. Bridget Bishop was the
first to be hanged. But of all the townspeople, why these three? They were but a mother, a
beggar, and a slave. They were hardly frightening people. The answer lies in another cause, petty
feuds. When experiencing a bad dream, a supposed encounter with a witch, many people
immediately thought to people they disliked or had engaged in an argument with recently.
Suddenly, the unfaithful wife or annoying neighbor became a witch.
Suspicions of witchcraft would hardly suffice as reason for a trial, and definitely not as
reasons to execute someone, in todays courtrooms. In Colonial Salem, thats exactly what

The Causes and Effects of the salem witch trials

happened. The town felt justified in their actions as they were, after all, following the European
example. In Europe, tens of thousands of people were executed on the grounds of witchcraft.
They were the most common in Central Europe, but occurred all throughout it. Accused witches
were often tortured until they could no longer endure the pain and confessed. (Witch Trials in
Europe 2014) Popular European methods of executing witches were strangling and then burning
them to death, and hanging, which the Salem Witch Trials mimicked.
One important cause of the Salem Witch trials was the allowance of spectral evidence in
court, as the symptoms associated with victimization by witchcraft were easy to feign. Spectral
evidence is evidence gathered from dreams and visions. The supposed victims would claim to be
tormented by a specter of the witch responsible, which is an image that exists only in spirit and
separate from the body. Symptoms of being afflicted of witchcraft included strange behavior
such as diving under furniture, hissing, scratching, and saying things that made no sense. It is
easy to act out these symptoms, and can even be caused by convulsive ergotism. This is a
condition that arises when someone consumes rye infected with ergot. Ergot is the source of drug
LSD, and could have caused the strange behavior and even hallucinations. (Ergot of Rye: History
2014)
The most devastating effects of the Salem Witch Trials were experienced by the families
of the victims, as well as any victim lucky enough to have survived. Of the over 200 people
accused of witchcraft, 141 of those people were imprisoned. Nineteen people were hanged, and
an elderly man was pressed to death with heavy stones. That brings the total body count to
twenty. (A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials 2014.) Twenty families, broken apart from
loved ones by fellow citizens. Those accused who had been released had to return home to work.
For many, the painful memories were too much to handle, and people began leaving Salem.

The Causes and Effects of the salem witch trials

Many who stayed were farmers, and the land had been left untouched until their return.
The planting seasons had been terribly disrupted, and the crops yield much lower than it could
have been. Crop failures put extra strain on these poor families, and debts were made worse as
these families now had to pay fees for the time spent in the prison. There was an economic divide
before the trials, between poor farmers and rich families utilizing the port. After the trials, that
gap became even greater and the economy disturbed.
Another result of the Salem Witch Trials was the steady decline of puritanism. Many
people were uncomfortable following a religion that had condemned both family members and
friends. These tragic deaths made many people realize the faults of that religion, and to really
begin to question their reverend. Surprisingly, the reverends daughters had been the first to
accuse anyone of the crimes of witchcraft and are often attributed with starting the witch craze in
Salem.
An effect being felt even today is the separation between the court systems and religion.
People became wary of involving the court in any matter regarding religion. This began the
process of separation between government and religion in Salem, a separation that continues in
modern-day Danvers. Salem was renamed Danvers following the trials. (Danvers Historical Sites
1994) Spectral evidence is no longer admitted in court. To obtain a conviction, the prosecution
must prove guilt through other means as dreams are not considered legitimate evidence. Courts
will allow witness testimony and forensic evidence, but spectral evidence is never an accepted
form. (Scientific and Forensic Evidence 2014)
The Salem Witch Trials were a disturbing example of what mass hysteria can accomplish.
Men and women alike, though primarily women, were accused of practicing dark magic and
being in league with Satan. Innocent people were killed, and families were destroyed. There were

The Causes and Effects of the salem witch trials

many causes as to why this happened, and as to why Salem was so vulnerable to it, many
unknown even to historians. The effects were drastic and felt even today, just as the story of
Salem is remembered hundreds of years after it happened. The Salem Witch Trials continue to
fascinate people even today.

The Causes and Effects of the salem witch trials

References
Blumberg, J. (n.d.). A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Retrieved December 17,
2014, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials175162489/?no-ist

Lambert, Tim. "A HISTORY OF THE WITCH TRIALS IN EUROPE." The Witch Trials in
Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2014. <http://www.localhistories.org/witchtrials.html>.

"Ergot of Rye: History." Ergot of Rye: History. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/wong/BOT135/LECT12.HTM>.
Trask, Richard B. "Danvers Massachusetts: Historical Sites." Danvers Massachusetts: Historical
Sites. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/Danvers.html>.

"Scientific and Forensic Evidence - FindLaw." Findlaw. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014.
<http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-procedure/scientific-and-forensic-evidence.html>.