Why were Puritans scared of witches?

The Puritans desire for conformity was so strong that they wanted to get rid of anyone that was different. The trials were an excuse for the people of Salem to expunge of all those people who were different. Witches were thought to be able to harm people and therefore were feared greatly.

How old was the youngest person accused of witchcraft?

This sent panic throughout the Village of Salem and led to accusations of more than 200 local citizens over the next several months, including Dorothy “Dorcas” Good who was by far the youngest accused at age 4 (she spent eight months in the prison’s dungeon before being released) along with her mother, Sarah Good (who …

What is the real cause of the Salem witch trials?

The Salem witch trials and executions came about as the result of a combination of church politics, family feuds, and hysterical children, all of which unfolded in a vacuum of political authority.

What are German witches called?

But when Germany’s modern witches celebrate the day, they prefer to use the name “Beltane,” derived from Gaelic mythology.

Why did so many people plead guilty to witchcraft?

Some accused admitted guilt in order to save their lives Families and friends often urged their loved ones to confess to save their lives. Families sometimes turned on one another. When Margaret Jacobs confessed to witchcraft, she implicated several others, including her grandfather, Reverend George Burroughs.

Why were people scared of the Salem witch trials?

Salem Village was so claustrophobic, insular and filled with paranoia, jealousy and greed. Add in the fear of an all-seeing God, that witches were real and impressionable teen girls with a flair for dramatics and you have a heady mix ripe for chaos and evil—of the human kind.

What kind of crime is witchcraft?

Witchcraft Act 1542 8) was the first to define witchcraft as a felony, a crime punishable by death and the forfeiture of goods and chattels.

Are there any descendants of the Salem witches?

Three presidents–Taft, Ford and Arthur–also are descended from one of Salem’s 20 executed witches or their siblings. So are Clara Barton, Walt Disney and Joan Kennedy. And, of course, our descendant in-the-making.

How many witches were killed in England?

The Witch trials in England were conducted from the 15th century until the 18th century. They are estimated to have resulted in the death of between 500 and 1000 people, 90 percent of whom were women. The witch hunt was as its most intense stage during the civil war and the Puritan era of the mid 17th century.

What are the most famous witch trials?

Among the largest and most notable of these trials were the Trier witch trials (1581–1593), the Fulda witch trials (1603–1606), the Würzburg witch trial (1626–1631) and the Bamberg witch trials (1626–1631).