What caused the Salem Witch Trials?

Answer 1

*Salem Witch Trials

**The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693.

**In 17th century colonial North America, the supernatural was part of everyday life.

**This concept emerged in Europe around the fifteenth century and spread to North America when it was colonized.

**Witchcraft was then used by peasants, who invoked particular charms for farming and agriculture.

**Over time, the idea of white magic transformed into dark magic and became associated with demons and evil spirits.

**From 1560 to 1670, witchcraft persecutions became common as superstitions became associated with the devil.

**In "Against Modern Sadducism" (1668), Joseph Glanvill claimed that he could prove the existence of witches and ghosts of the supernatural realm. Glanvill wrote about the "denial of the bodily resurrection, and the [supernatural] spirits".

**Works by men such as Glanvill and Cotton Mather tried to prove to humanity that "demons were alive."

Answer 2

There are many explanations for the causes of the Salem Witch Trials. One of the most popular is that the girls involved as accusers during the trials exhibited a form of "hysteria," which caused them the hallucinate and experience strange physical sensations. However, many people believe that the girls specifically targeted enemies of their families - that their families essentially "fed them" names of individuals whom they wanted to destroy. Property lines and land acquisition are also possibilities - those who were convicted of witchcraft forfeited their property to the state, which could then be bought up by wealthier townfolk. Ergot poisoning is another possible cause. A type of mold grown on rye (ergot) can produce hallucinogenic effects, and the fall of 1691 had been a particularly wet season, lending itself to ergot growth.