Why Did Women Who Were Charged With Witchcraft Accuse Others?

The Salem witch trials, a series of investigations and persecutions in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693, were a significant event in American history. The trials began with a single accusation, Tituba, an enslaved person, who was accused of witchcraft by Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams. This fear of female witchcraft led to the conviction of 19 convicted “witches” and many other suspects.

In some cases, women with knowledge or skills not traditionally associated with their gender were also accused of witchcraft. Most Puritans who claimed to be victims of witchcraft were also female. In the Salem witch trials, the people “afflicted” by an unexplained “distemper” in 1692 were all teenaged girls.

Women have been accused of witchcraft across seven centuries, but what that means often differs wildly, revealing the anxieties of each particular society. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts, resulting in mass hysteria and the Salem witch trials.

While both men and women have historically been accused of the malicious use of magic, only around 10-30 of suspected witches were men by the time of the trials. Over all of Europe and all the witchcraft hysteria, approximately 75-80 of accused witches were female.

The descendants of Salem’s “witches” are all around us, and the Salem witch trials have left a lasting impact on our understanding of the nature of witchcraft accusations and the experiences of those accused.

Which group was most likely to be accused of witchcraft?

Scholars have long identified similarities among accused individuals of witchcraft, with most being eccentric, God-fearing, and respected townspeople. During national crises, such as the first Red Scare and the Cold War, the government initiated prosecutions and investigations of Communists and other outsiders, often referred to as “witch hunts”. The First Amendment protects individuals for their expressed opinions, but not for violent or illegal conduct.

The Bill of Rights was passed 100 years after the Salem Witch Trials, with some insistence that a Bill of Rights was necessary for the ratification of the Constitution. They likely knew about the treatment of the “Salem witches” and their deprived rights under English common law at the time.

Why are the witches to blame?

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the witches create a false sense of security for Macbeth, implying that no one can harm him. This creates a sense of invincibility, leading to Macbeth’s actions, such as killing MacDuff’s family and fighting with the belief that no one can harm him. However, the witches’ twisting of words causes Macbeth to misinterpret the message, leading to his eventual death. The witches’ prophesying, Lady MacBeth’s scheming, and persuasion all play a role in Macbeth’s downfall, but ultimately, Macbeth must bear the major responsibility for his fate. The witches and Lady MacBeth influenced Macbeth’s actions, but ultimately, he must bear the major responsibility for his tragic downfall.

Why did the girls start accusing people of witchcraft?

The reasons behind the witchcraft accusations among young girls in Puritan society are unclear, but Elizabeth Hubbard was one of the original girls to begin the accusations. She continued to be a leading accuser throughout the summer and fall of 1692. Elizabeth, like most of the other afflicted girls, was detached from her parents and family of birth and lived with her great-aunt Rachel Hubbard Griggs and her husband, town physician Dr. William Griggs.

In 1692, Elizabeth was around 17 years old, making her one of the oldest of the original set of afflicted girls. Along with Elizabeth Parris, Abby Williams, and Anne Putnam, Elizabeth started the accusations with claims of being tortured by specters of certain community members. Carol Karlsen’s research suggests that many of the accusing girls may have behaved as they did due to the uncertainty of their future as orphans. Most of the girls had no monetary or emotional support from direct family members, and the frontier wars had left their father’s estates considerably diminished.

Elizabeth Hubbard, like most of the other accusing girls, was a servant with very dismal prospects for the future. Karlsen suggests that the afflicted used their dramatic possession performances to focus the communities’ concern on their difficulties, which allowed them to gain the respect and attention of the community.

While the exact reasons behind the witchcraft accusations remain unknown, the documents we can read provide insights into the kind of girl Elizabeth Hubbard was.

Why did people accuse others of witchcraft?

Witchcraft in early modern England was a complex phenomenon that caused fear and became a normal part of life. Newcomers to a community might be accused of witchcraft due to suspicion from their neighbors, or it could be a way to make money. The harvest failed, leading to increased suspicion. Witchcraft trials became a platform for grievances and disputes to be discussed, and people could testify for or against their neighbors.

Understanding the history of witchcraft provides insights into the realities of everyday life for ordinary people in early modern England, rather than the supernatural. Dr. Jessica Nelson, Head of Collections at The National Archives, delivered a 30-minute talk on the topic.

What were witches blamed for?

Witchcraft investigations faced a significant challenge in proving the accused’s guilt. Allegations often blamed the accused for natural events, but proving that this was the fault of a witch was challenging. In England, torture was illegal under English law, and accused witches were sometimes subjected to ordeals like “swimming” to prove guilt or innocence. However, English witch beliefs provided physical evidence through the belief in “familiars”, demons who helped the witch with her sorcery.

These demons took the form of common animals and fed on the witch’s blood, leaving tell-tale marks that were considered physical evidence of witchcraft. Surgeons and midwives were looking for these marks in the inspection certificate. Margaret Johnson, one of the accused women, claimed to have familiars, who visited her as various animals and sucked her blood. This evidence was crucial in witchcraft investigations and trials.

Why did people confess in Salem?

In 1692, the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Sir William Phips, ordered the convening of an official Court of Oyer and Terminer in Salem Town. The court consisted of seven judges and was tasked with defending the accused without counsel. The most damning for the accused was the admission of “spectral evidence”, which was claims by victims that they had seen and been attacked by spectres of the accused, whose forms Satan allegedly had assumed to work his evil.

Those who confessed or named other witches were spared the court’s vengeance due to the Puritan belief that they would receive their punishment from God. Those who insisted upon their innocence faced harsher fates, becoming martyrs to their own sense of justice. Many in the community who viewed the unfolding events as travesties remained mute, afraid that they would be punished for raising objections to the proceedings by being accused of witchcraft themselves.

On June 2, Bridget Bishop, who had been accused and found innocent of witchery some 12 years earlier, was the first of the defendants to be convicted. On June 10, she was hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Village. On July 19, five more convicted persons were hanged, including Nurse and Good. George Burroughs, who had served as a minister in Salem Village from 1680 to 1683, was also convicted and hanged on August 19.

On September 22, eight more convicted persons were hanged, including Martha Corey, whose octogenarian husband, Giles, was subjected to peine forte et dure (“strong and hard punishment”) and pressed beneath heavy stones for two days until he died.

What type of people were accused of being witches and why?

The Malleus Maleficarum, a 1494 witchcraft and demonology manual, states that women often think alone, leading to witchcraft accusations. In New England, women were the majority of those prosecuted, often pointing the finger at middle-aged and older women. However, popular belief held that anyone could be a witch, even friends and family. In 17th-century Salem, witches were not considered, as they were seen as serving the devil in opposition to the Christian church.

In 1692, several young girls in Salem Village reported unseen agents or forces afflicting them, accusing their neighbors of causing these afflictions. The accused and the murdered were innocent. Today, the term “witch” encompasses a broad spectrum of contemporary identities and professions, including tarot readers, spiritual healers, Wiccan High Priestesses, Neo-Pagans, occultists, mystics, herbalists, and activists. The city’s popularity among those who identify as witches may be due to lessons learned from 1692 and Salem’s attempts to confront its past.

What was the real reason for the Salem witch trials?

The mass hysteria in Salem Town may have been triggered by a number of factors, including the presence of refugees from King William’s War, an outbreak of smallpox, perceived threats from Native Americans, competition with the seaport, and underlying tensions.

Why does Betty start accusing others?

Betty, motivated by a fear of punishment, becomes fixated on being labeled a witch, emulating her older cousin Abigail’s actions and implicating others as witches. This ultimately results in a community-wide witch hunt due to her inability to assume responsibility for her actions.

Why do so many of the accused admit to witchcraft?

It is not uncommon for individuals accused of witchcraft to confess in order to prove their innocence and avoid execution.

Why did the people of Salem believe the girls’ accusations?

The Salem residents were inclined to accept the accusations of witchcraft due to a combination of factors, including their religious beliefs, the unexplained behaviors of girls, Abigail Hobbs’ confession of witchcraft, and the belief that the accused were being tortured.