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Did Puritans really believe in witchcraft and the supernatural?

The belief in astrology, magic, and witchcraft was common in 17th century America and

Europe, coexisting with clergy and church faith. Many Puritans believed in supernatural

intervention in global events. They viewed incidents like lightning striking one home but sparing

another as manifestations of God's will, as well as illnesses that decimated the number of their

Indian adversaries (Foner Cpt. 3). They believed in witchcraft and the supernatural because

anytime animals or children became ill or died, the New Englanders assumed it be caused by

evil magic. Because they could not think of any other explanations, they assumed the worst,

resulting in an out-of-control witch hunt that implicated many innocent individuals for no

justifiable reason.

Why did residents of Salem believe that a witchcraft epidemic was taking place?

They could not really figure out what was going on with the Salem girls who were

experiencing convulsions, screaming, trance-like states, and unexplained spells at the time.

When the medics established that there was no medical explanation for these symptoms, they

began to suspect Satan was at work. Tituba, a lady, confessed to witchcraft and her experiences

with the devil, claiming "sometimes like a hog and sometimes like a large dog," and she went on

to add that there were more witches in Salem working for Satan. Later on, when this witch hunt

was growing more serious additional villagers came forward and claimed that they, also, had

been hurt by or had seen unusual haunting of some of the local residents. They believed that
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forces of evil could also have an effect on everyday life. Witches were persons, mostly women,

believed and accused of striking a deal with the devil to obtain magical talents that they used to

harm others or disrupt natural processes. Until 1692, witchcraft prosecutions were local and

irregular (Foner Cpt. 3). But, during that year of heightened fear, a series of hearings and

executions took place in Salem, Massachusetts, which has become a byword for fanaticism and

persecution to this day.

Why were most of the accused women?

In New England, women outnumbered men in terms of those prosecuted and executed.

The first reason to consider about incorporates the issues of wealth, poverty, and gender. During

the disastrous year of 1692, 14 of the 19 people found guilty of witchcraft and executed in Salem

were women (Foner Cpt. 3). Even when men were charged with witchcraft, it was typically

because they knew the accused women. The Puritans thought that women should have children,

manage household affairs, and demonstrate Christian submission to their husbands. Women were

targets when they departed from their accepted responsibilities. Excessive wealth may suggest

nefarious benefits. A high or lower number of children than expected were used to indicate the

woman had a deal with the devil. Puritans also felt that women were more vulnerable to the

devil's temptation.

Another factor for the large number of female accusations is the women vs. women

rivalry. Due to the fact that the only option to escape prosecution was to plead and accuse others,

allegations of witchcraft began to pile up. Hundreds of Salem women had come out by the

middle of 1692 to incriminate their neighbors. Some appear to have taken advantage of the

occasion to settle old grievances within the Salem community (Foner Cpt. 3). While specific

commonalities between all of the claimed witches have yet to be discovered, it appears that the
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majority of reasons surrounding witchcraft allegations have to do with power. Women had little

legal power in many civilizations; when this was combined with economic position, ethnicity,

religion, and women developing influence and power wherever possible, women were easy

targets.
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Work Cited

Foner, Eric. “Give Liberty! An American History.” 6th Edn. Seagull.