Causes Of Salem Witch Trials

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The Causes of the Salem Witchcraft Trials
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Introduction
The Salem Witchcraft trials took place in a Puritan devoted community of Massachusetts in 1692. The trials resulted in the execution of nineteen men and women, and one man who was pressed to death with stones. The theories of what caused the accusations are numerous but I will attempt to explore a few of them.
The most widely known theory is that misogyny, the prejudice of women, was to blame for the witchcraft trials. The Puritans were raised with strict religious views on morality and generally oppressed females based on their religious beliefs. Puritans believed that women were more at risk at becoming cohorts with the devil.
Another possible explanation for the strange behavior is that is has a physiological origin. Ergotism is a disorder caused by ingesting contaminated grains of rye or other grasses. Symptoms of ergotism include vomiting, hallucinations, and a burning sensation in the extremities, Volk, T. (1999). The accounts of the girls’ behavior suggest the possibility of ergot poisoning.
Another physiological theory is that the girls were suffering from encephalitis lethargica. Some of the symptoms of this form of encephalitis include double vision, abnormal eye movements, and behavioral changes including psychosis, Wikipedia Encyclopedia.
Many historians also believe that quarrels among the families were a major cause of the disturbing events that occurred in Salem Village. The town was divided into two Page 2
prominent factions; each of which wanted a different leader of the church. There were
also many disputes over land between members of the Village and members of the Town. It is possible that members of these families used the trials and accusations as a mean to gain the land of their enemies.
The last theory that I am going to look into is psychological in origin. There are two possibilities that fall under the category of psychological: ma...