In 1692 and 1693, more than 200 people were accused of
practicing witchcraft- the Devil’s magic- and 20 were executed. Hysteria
gripped the village of Salem, Massachusetts as villagers feared they might be
the next one accused of witchcraft. Hundreds were put on trial with little or
no evidence. Eventually, the Salem villagers admitted the trials were a mistake
and compensated the families of those convicted. 
Homework Discussion Post [Due by Friday, 12/5/14]- I will allow this to be completed late with credit!
What caused the Salem villagers to execute twenty of their own people, and why did so many people go along with it?
What caused the Salem villagers to execute twenty of their own people, and why did so many people go along with it?
30 comments:
Zahra Siddiqui 11/19/14 7-8 BDF
The Salem villagers had killed twenty of their own people because they believed that they were witches. The two girls who started to experience the affects of "witchcraft" accused people of torturing them. People believed the girls because the Puritans thought that witchcraft was real. They kept executing people who they thought were witches. Until they realized that they made a mistake.
The Salem villagers killed 20 of their people because everyone believed the girls when they claimed to have been "bewitched" by their neighbors. And the Puritan people also believed that witchcraft was real. And they kept executing people until they noticed the errors in their ways.
Jamie Curley 5/6 ACE
The reason that 20 people died in Salem village is because two girls said that they were being tormented by witch craft because they had many things going on with their selves. The twenty people died because the people being "bewitched" blamed these happenings on their neighbors and it was strictly against their laws. Other than the twenty people died many others were put in jail to suffer. These people were also fine with this because the rules said no witch craft and the girls said the were bewitched. The people in Salem village did not know what was going on so they believed the girls(idiots) and started killing the people that the girls blamed.So this is what i believed happened to these innocent innocent people that mean no harm.
-Adam Hanes
James Hsia 11-24-14 7/8 ACE
I believe that the reason for the violence was the ergot fungus. The bewitched girls had symptoms like crawling sensations on the skin and muscle contractions, the same as the symptoms as LSD, a drug that is a derivative of ergot fungus. Ergot grows on rye and other cereal grasses, and rye was a staple crop of Salem. Also, ergot thrives in warm and damp conditions, which were present in the year of 1691. The 'bewitchments' abruptly ended in the summer of 1692, however, because dry conditions were present.
Anna Long
11-24-14
7/8 ACE
One of the main reasons that twenty people were executed was the girls. I think that the girls got ergot poisoning and started to hallucinate that the people they mentioned were behind their pain and weird symptoms. Nobody did anything to stop the executions because they were afraid that others would accuse THEM of being associated with witchcraft.
I don't know that the witches were killed the girls were jealous. There was a Salem town and on the other side of Ipswich RD Salem Village. Salem village are the unwealthy and Salem town were the rich. The girls lived in Salem village and All the accused lived in Salem town. The girls could have wanted to bring those of the town down bevause they had something the girls probably wanted more. I know girls get jealous and these girls were just probably mad they weren't as wealthy. They got away with this because the Puritans believed in witchcraft. They thought that Satan would find the weakest individuals "outcasts" and use them to carry out his work. This was considered witchcraft if you carried it out. If you were found doing witchcraft you were sentenced to death. Puritans were also not supposed to lie and the girls probably weren't supposed to lie. Soon after all the deaths they realized they were mistaken. Eve Sarbanes 7/8 ACE
The Salem villagers executed twenty of their own people because they were convinced they were witches. The village of Salem, Massachusetts was under strict Puritan law. They believed witchcraft was the devil's magic. Everyone went along with it because they were raised to believe that witches were absolutely horrible. They did not want them to "harm" more people. They did not want their children growing up around witches, even though their was no logical evidence that withes and witchcraft even existed.
Anisah-7/8 ACE
The Salem villagers executed twenty of their people because they believed that those people were practicing witchcraft a.k.a Devil's magic. So many people went along with it because they believed that witchcraft was the devil's magic. As well they accused people of witchcraft by using it as a explanation of something that happens that they don't understand.
To be exact in my terms I believe that the accusers did not mean for there scam to go as far as executing 20 innocent people. I believe that these Salem girls all gathered at some point and agreed to make a lie about being possessed, and sick and etc. BASICALLY I'M TRYING TO ADMIT THESE GIRLS LIED ABOUT EVERYTHING, NOT KNOWING IT WILL GO AS FAR AS TAKING OTHERS LIVES JUST TO GET OUT OF DOING CHORES AND ALSO TO FEEL A LITTLE BIT OF OUTSIDE FREEDOM. Since we all do know these girls that were lying did not get outside freedom. Actually none of the Salem girls had freedom because they all mainly worked inside the house.
The Salem villagers executed twenty of their own people because they believed that they were witches. It first began in January of 1692 when a group of young girls, known as the “afflicted girls,” fell ill after playing a fortune-telling game and began behaving strangely. They accused three women, Sarah Good, Sarah Obsburn and a slave named Tituba, of bewitching them.
At the time the girls made these accusations, Salem was under a lot of stress because of the small pox epidemic, attacks from native-American tribes, and the people coming to Salem because of the King William's war.
People believed the girls because the girls were acting strange and getting sick. People got scared of the thought of witches so they rather get rid of them then to worry about them and would they could do to them and their families.
The Salem villagers executed twenty people because witchcraft was one of the biggest crimes someone could make.The villagers believed that it was the Devil's magic.This caused everyone to fear the twenty accused of witchcraft.Which then led to the deaths.
Koby Bradshaw
5/6 ACE
The Salem villagers were executed twenty peaple because of witchcraft . Witchcraft was a really bad crime at that time ,so if they thought the people were a witchcraft they would be executed.
Cati Silvestre Perez 5-6 ACE
The Salem villagers executed 20 of their people because of fear of witchcraft. 2 girls said they were being attacked by witches. Religion is a big part of law. Their religion believes that satan will find the weekest people to carry out his work so people are afraid of this. This is why20 Salem villagers were executed. Nicholas Hogans
I think the Salem villagers were executed because they were born puritan children. I based my answer because of the crime consequences that are given when you are even thought being any part of witchcraft. If thought doing witchcraft then you are to be sentenced to death. Most villagers were probably too scared to say anything because they thought they would be accused of witchcraft too and die. That's why I believe the Salem villagers were executed.
The Salem children that were the accusers were trying to get attention. Puritan children don't get to play. I think that everyone went along with it because puritan children were supposed to be honest.
Brandon Underwood 5/6 ACE
The Salem villagers executed twenty of their own people because some nine year old girls thought they were "witches." I think so many people went along with it because they were jealous of the witches. All of the accused lived on or near Ipswich Road which was where a lot of change was happening. It was the start of a middle class and the Salem villagers didn't like that. They thought that change affected their religion. So, I think they didn't like the people who lived near that road so they took out their anger this way.
Emma Murphy
7/8 ACE
I just posted the anonymous one.
so i think it was because of the purtain children they did not get to play or have any fun and all they did all day was work and clean and had to go to church everyday so i think they went along with it
rachel Burkhardt 5-6 ACE
i think the salem villagers executed 20 0f there own people because the girls thought they were witches. everyone else went with it
morgan larkin 7/8 ace
Because back then witchcraft was ungodly and against all rules because witches were thought to be works of Satan(devil)which was against puritan rules and religion so obviously when they heard members of their own society were working with the devil they got angry so they since they punishment for that was death they immediately put them to death with really no thought nor trial to prove innocent or guilt so when they found out they had murdered 20 innocent people they should have been ashamed and mortified.
~Hannah Briggs
~7/8
~ACE
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. The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people, most of them women. This happened because many of the villagers believed the girls. Which resulted in the executions of the 20 people.
The Salem villagers blamed these people about being witches because the girls were bored and all hype about these witch tales and decided to use it. they were really feeling the symptoms but they wanted to add to it and everyone went along with it because they believed the girls to be telling the truth
Ambrozia Howard
I believe that why so many people went along with witchcraft was because of the fear of the Puritians. The person in charge was a stern Puritian. When you defy the person in your charge, you get punished. That is why so many people went along with the execution. They were so afraid of being punished.
They had killed 20 people because they would believe anyone at the time and because most of the people that were going along with it were really religious. That is why I think they killed 20 of there own.
--RJ Batts
Well, there were several reasons why the executed them. One reason was of jealousy. The second reason was just being puritan children The third one is that of the ergot fungus. The last reason would be the idea of witchcraft.
Yousuf Al Naseri
The Salem Witch trials back then was pretty a serious time. I have no doubt that they would kill 20 of their own people because they probably didn't want to be known for witch craft being used on their land. So they basically used it for a warning to people.
- Evan Giordano 7-8 ACE
I believe that the reason the people killed 20 of there own people is that the children where just being Puritan children. The children where not able to do anything that is at all interesting. I think the kids just where bored and couldn't stand not being able to do anything that wasn't cleaning or working.
-Roxanne chow
7-8 ACE
I think one of the main reasons they killed many of their own people is because they didn't like doing chores and work all the time. They wanted to do something "fun" for once. They basically got bored with their everyday life
Morgan Larkin 7/8 ace
Kevin Gutoskey 7/8 ACE
I believe that the cause of these accusations was the ergot fungus. The two girls that accused others of witchcraft experienced symptoms that were also symptoms of the ergot fungus. Also, the fungus can be found on wheat, rye, and other cereal grasses. These were major crops that were grown in Salem at the time. The ergot fungus also grew in a hot, humid climate. The accuations stopped "coincidentally" when the weather became warm but dry. So, the fungus would no longer be able to thrive.
I believe that the girls that said that there were witches had the virus that came from the rye that was planted near Salem. Then the girls that had the virus blamed the women were jealous of them because the lived on the richer part of the town. So they blamed them and they were killed. So many people went along with it because they were scared and the people blamed were weird people.
Trate Underwood 7-8 ACE
Post a Comment