Why Were Individuals Being Charged With Witchcraft?

Throughout history, women have been more consistently accused of witchcraft than men, possibly due to their historically restricted lives. In 1692, between 144 and 185 women, children, and men were accused of witchcraft, with 19 executed after local courts found them guilty. Five factors fueled unease and panic over accusations during the Salem witch trials: economic hardship, deliberate fraud, mass hysteria, mental illness, or convulsive ergotism.

Some accused may have been actual pedophiles or serial killers, while others may have been accused of practicing witchcraft as a way of making money. People were more suspicious of witchcraft when the harvest failed, as they looked for a cause. The Salem Witch Trials began with a single accusation, Tituba, an enslaved woman.

The idea of witchcraft as a threat was brought from England and the Puritan worldview was mainstream. Most people accused of witchcraft were women, and the last trial was held in May 1693. Between 144 and 185 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, with twenty of those people executed, most by hanging.

During the Salem witch trials, it was generally believed that witches were born with special powers or that witchcraft was something else. Some bizarre reasons people were accused of witchcraft during the trials include being sarcastic and not hearing the accusations. The Salem witch trials were a series of investigations and persecutions that caused 19 convicted “witches” to be hanged and many others to be convicted of witchcraft.

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 get accused of witchcraft?

The Puritans believed that physical realities had spiritual causes, and if someone claimed to have seen a ghost or spirit in the form of the accused, they were considered a witch. This led to the use of spectral evidence as proof of guilt. Increase Mather, then president of Harvard, denounced the use of spectral evidence, arguing that it was better for ten suspected witches to escape than one innocent person be condemned.

Governor Phips dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer, and the Superior Court of Judicature began hearing remaining witch trials in January 1693. Most trials ended in acquittal, and Phips pardoned the rest.

What was the reason behind the Salem witch trials?

The Salem witch trials and executions were a result of a combination of church politics, family feuds, and hysterical children, all unfolding in a vacuum of political authority. In the late 17th century, there were two Salems: Salem Town, a bustling commerce-oriented port community on Massachusetts Bay, and Salem Village, a smaller, poorer farming community of around 500 persons. The village had a noticeable social divide, exacerbated by a rivalry between the well-heeled Porters and the Putnams, who sought greater autonomy for the village.

Squabbles over property were commonplace, and litigiousness was rampant. In 1689, Samuel Parris, a merchant from Boston by way of Barbados, became the pastor of the village’s Congregational church. Parris brought his wife, their three children, a niece, and two slaves from Barbados, John Indian and Tituba. The relationship between the slaves and their ethnic origins is uncertain, with some scholars believing they were of African heritage, while others think they may have been of Caribbean Native American heritage.

What were witches blamed for?

The investigation of witchcraft often encounters difficulties in establishing culpability, as accused individuals are frequently held responsible for phenomena that may be attributed to natural causes, such as illness, mortality, crop failure, or sexual dysfunction. This paucity of evidence can impede the process.

Why were children accused of witchcraft?

In the 17th century, many children were punished for alleged witchcraft, often due to their participation in Sabbats. It was believed that witches’ children inherited witchcraft from their parents, leading to charges against entire families. Accused witches often claimed they learned witchcraft from their parents. Pierre de Lancre and Francesco Maria Guazzo believed that having accused parents introduced children to Satan, Sabbats, married them to demons, or inspired them to have sex with Satan.

Many accused children became aggressive and threatened community members, reinforcing community beliefs that they were witches. The 16th century saw more child involvement in witchcraft hunts and accusations, leading to the persecution of children themselves as witches. Children admitted to witchcraft, accusing teachers and mentors, leading to children being accused themselves by the 17th century.

What are the rules of witchcraft?

Witches believe in the universal law of not doing evil and harm, and see the universe as majickal and able to provide for us. They practice science, art, and religion, with roots in early European cultures. Witches act in balance with these three aspects and use their majick in harmony with the universe and nature. They do not worship Satan or the Devil, as they believe that hatred and harm stem from our own choices and actions against the balance of the universe. Witches practice their religion in harmony with the universe and nature.

What crimes did witches commit?

Witches were believed to have committed two crimes: practicing harmful magic and a covenant with the Devil. However, some scholars, including Roger Bacon, argued that there was a type of natural magic that was not derived from a pact with the devil and that some practices associated with magic and witchcraft were actually legitimate. Village healers, who shared many characteristics with witches, were often sought to heal a sick child or create love potions. Magic, sorcery, and the ideas of the supernatural had co-existed with Christianity for centuries before witch hunts became so prevalent.

The panic over witches is debated by historians, but many agree that economic struggles, scarcity, religious divisions, state building, lack of knowledge surrounding mental illness, and undiagnosed medical conditions may have played a part. Hallucinations or seizures may have led medieval people to believe they were possessed or witnessed a supernatural event. Some accused witches embraced their powers and intentionally scared people, but it remains unclear if these individuals truly believed in their own powers.

Despite some scholars referring back to the Bible for guidance, there were contradictions that fueled intense arguments among churchmen. Saint Augustine rejected magic as associated with the worship of false idols in his work, City of God, while Isidore of Seville reiterated this sentiment in his famous text, Etymologiae. Venerable Bede, an English Benedictine monk, was also involved in the debates over magic and witchcraft.

The fear and uncertainty of these centuries created a mass hysteria among the population, with inquisitors and officials drumming up suspicion to increase their personal authority and power. The voices of the witches were often given under torture or the threat of torture, making their testimony less reliable and harder to analyze. In 1682, King Louis XIV issued an edict that laid the foundation for the decriminalization of witchcraft in France.

When did witchcraft become a crime?

During the 16th and 17th centuries, religious tensions in England led to the introduction of severe penalties for witchcraft. Henry VIII’s Witchcraft Act 1541 was the first to define witchcraft as a felony, punishable by death and forfeiture of goods and chattels. It prohibited the use of devise, practice, or exercise of witchcraft, to steal money, treasure, consume, destroy, or provoke people to unlawful love or intent.

The Act also removed the benefit of clergy, which exempted accused from the King’s courts from those convicted of witchcraft. This statute was repealed by Henry’s son, Edward VI, in 1547. The act was a significant step in addressing the issue of witchcraft in England.

Why did the witch hunts happen?

Witch-hunts are a significant human rights violation, often targeting women, children, elderly individuals, and marginalized groups like albinos and HIV-infected individuals. These victims are often considered burdens to the community and are often driven out, starved to death, or killed violently. Causes include poverty, epidemics, social crises, and lack of education. The witch-hunt leader, often a prominent figure or “witch doctor”, may gain economic benefit by charging for exorcisms or selling body parts of the murdered.

In 2015, ISIS militants beheaded two couples accused of sorcery and using “magic for medicine” in Deir ez-Zor province. Witchcraft or sorcery remains a criminal offense in Saudi Arabia, although the precise nature of the crime remains undefined.

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 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.