Why were witches killed in the Salem witch trials?

Answer 1

The Puritans of Massachusetts believed witchcraft to be a felony. And the English punishment for felony was death by hanging. On the Continent of Europe, witchcraft was heresy and punished with death by burning.

Answer 2

because people wanted someone to blame for all the misery in their lives at that point in history. The church of the American towns also wanted to be seen doing something heroic to gain them power and respect from the people at that time that did not know what the new hierarchy would be. The strong old recuses that shied away from the new civilization were dealt with by the priests in one way or another. the old wise women of the village were also accused so no power would rival the church reprisentative of that time.

Answer 3

On the European Continent, which was mostly Catholic, witchcraft was heresy and the punishment for heresy was burning.

In England and its colonies, that were Protestant, witchcraft was a felony and a felony was punished by hanging.

Drowning was not an execution method. It was a way to test if a person was a witch, if you sank and drowned, you weren't a witch. If, despite your limbs being tied to stones, you didn't drown, the devil was holding you up and you were a witch. You would then be burned.

Answer 4

They were executed for refusing to confess to their practice of witchcraft.