Salem Witches and Ergot of Rye Essay - 1055 Words

Salem Witches and Ergot of Rye While researching texts written about the Salem Witch Trials, I found a few authors who published articles and books about the Salem Witch Trials. These authors often showed that the most likely cause of the fits coming from the victims was produced by ergot of rye. However, I could not find much discussion about another important source of the fits’ cause: witchcraft. My goal in this paper is to produce a convincing argument that the victims during the Salem Witch Trials that experienced strange behaviors came from ergot of rye rather than witchcraft. To achieve this goal, I have organized my paper into four main sections. In the first section, I provide an account of what happened during the 17th century†¦show more content†¦Confidence in the supernatural–and particularly in the demons practice of giving certain people (witches) the ability to mischief others as an exchange for their loyalty–had rose in Europe as promptly as the fourteenth century, and was across the board in frontier New England. Whats more, the brutal substances of life in the rustic Puritan group of Salem Village (present-day Danvers, Massachusetts) at the time incorporated the delayed consequences of a British war with France in the American settlements in 1689, a late smallpox scourge, reasons for alarm of assaults from neighboring Native American tribes and a longstanding contention with the more prosperous group of Salem Town (present-day Salem). Betwixt these stewing strains, the Salem witch trials might be energized by occupants su spicions of and disdain to their neighbors, and their alarm of outsiders. Tituba was a Caribbean slave owned by the Parris family. Sarah Good was a homeless woman. Sarah Osborne was a poor elderly woman. Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good pleaded innocent. Tituba admitted, â€Å"The Devil came to me and bid me serve him.† She described seeing red cats, yellow birds, black dogs, and a black man who asked her to sign his â€Å"book†. She confessed to signing the book. All three women were put in jail. Soon, more children had started to experience similar episodes. People were tried and found guilty of witchcraft. When the villagers were found guilty of witchcraft, they were to beShow MoreRelatedThe Salem Witch Trial1152 Words   |  5 PagesMany assumptions have been made by historians to explain the occurrence of the Salem witchcraft trials, and on why the afflicted girls behaved the way they did, but yet there still seems to remain a sense of doubt on this issue. It seems that this case is not just because of one factor such as Ergotism, but several more. The affliction started by mind suggestion. The early beliefs and superstitions in Puritanical society that were practiced on an everyday basis supported the idea that the behaviorsRead MoreEssay about The History of the Salem Witch Trial in 1692793 Words   |  4 Pageswas a point in our history when people believed in witches. If you were accused as a witch, you would be tried, most of the time found guilty, and hanged. These events happened in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. During the Salem witch trials in 1692, more women were accused than men. At the same time, women were also accusers. Many things could have caused women to be accused and accusers. These included, the stories Tituba told, the effects of Ergot Poisoning, Hysteria and the hunger for Power. DuringRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Of Colonial Massachusetts1473 Words   |  6 PagesThe infamous Salem witch trials of colonial Massachusetts took place between 1692 and 1693. They involved the execution of fourteen women and five men within the brief time period. What is now the New England region had been established by a homogenous Puritan population, which emigrated from England. Abiding by a strict set of beliefs, the Puritans did not accept people of other backgrounds,therefore it might follow that the Salem Witch Trials of New England were a result of the strict Puritan societyRead MoreTruth and Reality597 Words   |  3 Pagesexists.   An example that came to mind is the Salem witch trials. The witch hunt occurred in Massachusetts between the years 1692 and 1693. During this time people believed that the Devil could give give others special powers. The Salem which trials came about shortly after thousands of accused witches in Europe were executed in their own witch hunt. Throughout the entire Salem witch trials over 200 people (mostly women) were accused of being witches influenced by the Devil, and around 20 wereRead MoreCauses Of The Salem Witch Trials994 Words   |  4 Pagesto develop the greatest consequence possible. The Salem Witch Trials are an example of such conflict, as they resulted in many people being falsely accused for crimes, arrested, and killed. But what provoked this mass hysteria? Scholars have attempted to answer this question, but the most common idea is that it was due to a variety of economic, social, and physiological problems within the Salem village. In order to understand the cause of the Salem Witch Trials, some background must be given aboutRead MoreThe Causes Of The Salem Witch Trials1748 Words   |  7 PagesThe Salem witch trials were a series of different court trials. They occurred after a group of young girls were claimed to be possessed by the devil. These individuals experienced hallucinations. Some of the suspects explained the attacks as if bugs were crawling under their skin. When the outbreak began to spread, the government proceeded to accuse multiple people in the colony of witchcraft. This is how the Salem witch trials came to be. The trials took place in colonial Massachusetts. AccordingRead MoreThe Witches Of Salem Witch Trials1760 Words   |  8 PagesSalem, Massachusetts, the new English settlement for 17th century Protestants who wanted to purify the Church of England, was and is known for the atrocity that rattled the land. This atrocity, or The Salem Witch Trials, began around 1692, several years after the Puritans settled in Salem. During the Trials, an absurd amount of women, men, and even dogs were accused of being possessed by the Devil, thus making them perform witchcraft or wizardry on both townspeople and the townspeople’s valuablesRead MoreWhat Caused The Salem Witch Trials?1331 Words   |  6 PagesWhat Caused the Salem Witch Trials? The Salem Witch Trials are one of the most infamous events in American history, with Salem Massachusetts drawing thousands of visitors and generating millions of dollars every year, regardless of the fact that the trials did not actually take place in modern day Salem. The Salem Witch Trials took place between 1692 and 1693. By the time the court admitted that the trials had been a mistake, more than 200 people had been accused of witchcraft and 20 had been executedRead MoreEssay about Were The Salem Witch Trials Spurred By Food Poisoning?1119 Words   |  5 Pagesdemons, wizards, sorcerers, sorceresses, and witches. Nowadays mystical beings are seen everywhere in media. Most of society stopped believing in these creatures years ago, but for 17th-century Salem, witchcraft became a living nightmare (Fremon, 1999). I have studied this topic for years, especially anything pertaining to the Salem Witch Trials. I have read several books and have sources from universities and medical writers. I have studied the Salem Witch Trials out of interest for some time, andRead MoreThe Witches Of Salem Witch Trials1371 Words   |  6 Pages3 Mrs. Tammen Salem Witchcraft Trial Theories In the 1690s â€Å"The â€Å"afflicted† girls [whom] made the accusations were some of the most powerless members of their society† (â€Å"Part II: The Witches of Salem†). Salem Witch Trials quickly became famous and researchers began exploring the multiple possibilities behind the trials. Although many theories were considered, none could explain why so many were accused and hanged. Notably, ergot poisoning was a highly considered theory for the Salem trials. Farming