The Salem witch trials were a series of events that took place in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. The trials resulted in the execution of 20 people who were accused of witchcraft. The hysteria began when a group of young girls in Salem Village claimed to be possessed by witches. Their symptoms included fits, convulsions, and hallucinations. As word spread, more people in the community began to exhibit similar symptoms, leading to widespread fear and panic. A special court was convened to hear the cases of the accused witches.
A doctor came to see the children, and he diagnosed them as suffering from witchcraft. Cotton Mather and Joseph Dudley served as accuser and judge, respectively. The two oversaw Glover’s conviction. She was hanged for witchcraft, but her real sin was her Catholicism. Had she renounced her Catholicism, they likely would have spared her.
She and her family belonged to the thousands of Irish that the English government forcibly deported to the West Indies as indentured servants in the 1640s. Dudley was the son of Thomas Dudley, a devout Puritan who arrived in the new world in 1630 and served four terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
A special court was convened to hear the cases of the accused witches. The court relied heavily on spectral evidence, which was testimony from the afflicted girls claiming to see the spirits of the accused witches harming them. This type of evidence was highly controversial and considered unreliable, but it was still accepted in court.
We killed our brother for making us poor through witchcraft, suspects allegedly confess
The operatives of the Nigeria Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, have arrested two brothers, Akaninyene and Ime Enyeokpon, who allegedly conspired and murdered one of their brothers, Friday Enyeokpon, over witchcraft allegation.
The victim, who lived in the same address as the suspects, was said to have gone to the bush to check his traps when he was allegedly waylaid and attacked with machete by his two brothers.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, said in Uyo on Friday that the suspects, after allegedly killing their brother, beheaded him, buried his head in the sand and abandoned his torso in the bush.
Ogunjemilusi added that the suspects confessed to committing the crime, although maintaining that their brother used his witchcraft to manipulate their destinies by rendering them poor.
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“The deceased, one Friday Enyeokpon ‘M’ of Ikot Abasi Asutan Village in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, left his house and went to the bush to check his traps and while still in the bush, the suspects, one Akaninyene Enyeokpon ‘M’, and Ime Enyeokpon ‘M,’ both of same address, emerged from their hideouts, unlawfully killed the deceased, beheaded the deceased, buried the deceased’s head and abandoned the lifeless body in the bush.
“During interrogations, the suspects confessed to the crime, noting that the deceased bewitched them with witchcraft and caused their misfortunes in life.
“The deceased’s head was exhumed and deposited in the mortuary and two machetes used by the suspects in the murder of the deceased were recovered,” Ogunjemilusi said.
He said that investigation is still in progress.
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The trials resulted in the execution of 19 people by hanging and one person by pressing, where heavy stones were placed on their chest until they were crushed to death. Many others were imprisoned or faced social ostracism. The Salem witch trials are often cited as an example of mass hysteria and religious intolerance. The accusations and trials were driven by widespread fear and a belief in the supernatural. They also reflect the strict religious and moral codes of the Puritan society in colonial New England. In the years following the trials, the Massachusetts government admitted the mistakes and injustices that had occurred. The families of the victims were compensated, and upstanding citizens who had been accused were exonerated. The trials remain a dark chapter in American history, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hysteria, prejudice, and the abuse of power..
Reviews for "The Salem Witch Trials and the Development of the American Legal System"
1. Sarah - 1/5 stars - I found "Learn about the events of the Salem Witch Trials" to be incredibly boring and poorly organized. The information presented was dry and lacked any engaging storytelling that could have made this historical event more interesting. The format of the book was also confusing, with random facts scattered throughout without any clear structure. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging read about the Salem Witch Trials.
2. John - 2/5 stars - While "Learn about the events of the Salem Witch Trials" had some interesting information about the historical context of the trials, I found the overall writing style to be dull and unengaging. The book seemed more like a textbook than an entertaining read. Additionally, I was hoping for a deeper exploration of the psychological and sociological factors that led to the hysteria, but the book only scratched the surface of these aspects. Overall, I was left wanting more depth and substance from this book.
3. Rebecca - 2/5 stars - As a history enthusiast, I was excited to dive into "Learn about the events of the Salem Witch Trials," but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The book felt very one-sided, focusing mainly on the actions of the accusers and the trials themselves, without delving deeper into the motivations of the accused or the larger societal factors at play. I also found the writing to be dry and lacking any sort of narrative flow. While the book provided a basic overview of the events, it missed the opportunity to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced analysis of the Salem Witch Trials.