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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
5 pages in length. For contemporary society, it seems a bit difficult to believe some of what transpired in centuries gone by. One such memorable flicker on America's timeline is that of the witch hunts of colonial New England. Men, women and even children, who were branded worshippers of Satan and witchcraft, were deemed a horrid threat to society; in an attempt to rid the town of their presence, presumed devotees of the devil were put to death. Why was this the case when there was little if any proof of this being the truth? There were a great many reasons, but none so powerful as the threat of female independence had at that time. The writer discusses why the fear of women's emancipation was the foremost reason for the colonial New England witch hunts. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
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5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_Wichcrft.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
is that of the witch hunts of colonial New England. Men, women and even children, who were branded worshippers of Satan and witchcraft, were deemed a horrid threat to
society; in an attempt to rid the town of their presence, presumed devotees of the devil were put to death. Why was this the case when there was little
if any proof of this being the truth? There were a great many reasons, but none so powerful as the threat of female independence had at that time.
Without out a doubt, the fear of womens emancipation was the foremost reason for the colonial New England witch hunts. September 22, 1962 was execution day for eight people in
Salem Village, Massachusetts. Their crime: allegedly practicing witchcraft and worshipping Satan. During the eight months that followed, hundreds more were accused of the same crime; those who were
convicted faced death by hanging, torture or languishing in prison. In all, nineteen people lost their lives. Looking back, historians have called this period "one of the darkest
chapters in American history" (Anonymous, no date, p. salem.htm). Indeed, the basis behind such accusations had no bearing on what was actually the truth; rather, the townspeople were easily
lead astray by the crippling fear that accompanied thoughts of independent women. Perhaps it was because the accusations originally began on account of the female gender that a fear of
control gripped the townspeople, for it was a group of teenaged girls who were having what appeared to be seizure-like attacks that initially started the witch hunt. "Thrashing about,
wincing and shrieking" (Anonymous, 1991, p. PG), the youths were seemingly coerced to place the blame for their behavior upon someone or something; in a panic, they pointed a finger
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