Salem Witchcraft Trials: The Little Ice Age

Words: 782

Pages: 4

Open Document

"The witchcraft trials suggest that even when considering events and circumstances thought to be psychological or cultural, key underlying motivations can be closely related to economic circumstances. “ -Emily Oster, Harvard University.
Transition in thesis. The environmental and economical conditions around Salem caused personal greed and fear to trump logic and created the Mass hysteria that is the Salem Witch Trials. One of the environmental conditions Salem faced was the Little Ice Age which was from the mid fourteenth century to the mid nineteenth century. This Ice Age caused Cold Winters in the area of Salem around the the time of the trials leading to poor harvests and food shortages. On top of this, as we know today Massachusetts has infertile soil making farming difficult in the region. Due to the food shortages there would be an increase in competition for resources which would have been imported from Boston. This supports the mentality the less people the less competition, and the more power.
We can see this from Mr. Putnam in this quote: “He had no right to sell it. It stands clear in my grandfather's will that all land between the river and---... You load one oak of mine and you'll fight to drag it home.” pg. 32 Act One.
Putnam …show more content…
On the East side of Salem you have Salem Town, quite literally where the town is. While on the West you have the farms or Salem Village. Now the West was discontent with the East because the East had the thriving, profitable harbor, and therefore most of the legislation favored the East over the West. So the West wanted to leave Salem for more favorable representation in political matters. To do this they needed to support of the minister of the town, who took a whole year to elect and explain why there were so many ministers before him. Quote. The facts is the majority of the accusers are those of the West and the accused are mainly on the

The Theories Of The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials were a string of very unfortunate events, that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts. In 1692 there was a group of girls that accused many people of either being a witch or committing witchcraft. No one really has an explanation why the trials happened, but Nearly 200 people were accused of witchcraft and 19 were sentenced to execution. Historians believe that the trials were caused by mass hysteria, but there are several theories as to what happened, so here are 6 main theories…

Words 569 - Pages 3

Why Did The Salem Witch Trials Happen

How did the trials begin? The trials began after a group of young girls started to experience identical, strange symptoms, which was then blamed on witchcraft. These girls went on to accuse several local women of witchcraft, starting off with Tituba, an Indian slave. What happened during the trials? Throughout the trials, more girls started claiming they were being afflicted by witchcraft and time after time, the accusations kept on increasing. Many people were sentenced to prison, while others…

Words 307 - Pages 2

Essay on Possible Causes of the Salem Witch Trials

List of 5 Possible Causes of the Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials were a series of witchcraft trials that took place in 1692 in Massachusetts. Nearly 200 people were accused of witchcraft and by the end of the trials, 19 were sentenced to death by hanging and executed. The historians agree that the Witch Trials were a result of mass hysteria but there are several theories about its causes. Listed below are 5 possible reasons for one of the most tragic events in American history. Boredom…

Words 531 - Pages 3

Tituba Salem Witch Trials

darkest moments in American history happened in 1692, in Salem, Massachusetts. At the time the hierarchy of crimes were not like crime hierarchy found today. Witchcraft was among the highest crimes at the time, even higher than murder. Two young girls, around ages 9 and 11, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, the daughter and niece to the first ordained minister of Salem Village, Samuel Parris began exhibiting unusual behavior. Ann Putnam, age 11 years old, and other girls in the Village began acting…

Words 523 - Pages 3

Dbq Salem Witch Trials

Witch trials are a phenomenon that have plagued societies throughout history. Witch trials were not unique to one culture, but rather occured in periods of mass hysteria. They date from as early as the Code of Hammurabi from about 2000 B.C., to the infamous Salem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts. This suggests that the fear and persecution of witches is sociological rather than cultural. Witch persecutions do not arise randomly, but can be attributed to various external conditions. This is…

Words 1759 - Pages 8

History Of The Witch Trials

of the witch trials. The witch hunt in Europe lasted for about 270 years (from approximately 1480 to 1750) and around 50,000 people total were killed during that time, even though over 100,000 people were tried for the crime witchcraft. Originally the witch hunts were organized by religious officials to make sure that people feared of challenging the church. Three-fourths of all the people that were killed were women, although in some countries, the amount of men tried for witchcraft were almost 60%…

Words 1540 - Pages 7

Essay about Thirteen Colonies and New England

Chapter 1: New World Beginnings: 33,000 B.C.-A.D. 1769 A. True-False: Where the statement is true, circle T; where it is false, circle F. 1. T F The geography of the North American continent was fundamentally shaped by the glaciers of the Great Ice Age. 6. 2. T F North America was first settled by people who came by boat across the waters of the Pacific Strait from Japan to Alaska. The early Indian civilizations of Mexico & Peru were built on the economic foundations of cattle & wheat growing. Most…

Words 7378 - Pages 30