Is Witch Trails A Thing Of The Past - 923 Words

Being that the Salem Witch Trails date back to over three hundred years, many people believe witch trails are a thing of the past. However, modern day witch trails are still extremely prevalent. Modern-day witch-hunts are reported to still be happening in Africa, the Pacific, Latin America, even in the U.S. and Europe. According to a New York Times article, within the last fifteen years alone, more than 2,000 Indians have been killed after being accused of witchcraft. Almost all of the accused have been women, usually accused by a neighbor or due because of personal disputes about land rights or personal property. Not only are witch-hunts going on in India, but reports have also come in from Papa New Guinea. Starting in 2000, when a newspaper reported men were tortured with weapons, including iron rods, before being beaten and burned to death, there have been many accusations of people partaking in witchcraft. Not only are these accusations happening to woman, they are happening to m en, children, and the elderly. Causes for witch-hunts in Papa New Guinea are believed to have steamed from problems between men and the community, sparked because of the lack of educational and economic opportunities, also fueled by drug use. It is heavily debated that one of the reasons the Salem Witch Trials had such an impact on America is because modern day witch hunts have made what happened in Salem still relevant. One theory states that the witch scare was brought on by the ministers as aShow MoreRelatedNineteen One Deaths From The Salem Witch Trials847 Words   |  4 PagesTwenty-one deaths from The Salem Witch Trials (Callis) seems to be very minimal when compared to the 620,000 deaths that resulted from the Civil War, however, The Salem Witch Trials seem to stick out significantly in the minds of Americans. Why is this? Today, it is appalling to us that someone would be executed for what only appeared to be â€Å"witchcraft†. Even though there was no credible evide nce of it, the majority believed that there was some sort of evil sorcery about them and then commended theRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between John Proctor Vs The Crucible863 Words   |  4 Pagesdaughters and 2 sons with his second wife Elizabeth Thorndike, and 3 daughters and 4 sons with his last wife Elizabeth Bassett. (Brooks) â€Å" I’ll not give my wife to vengeance† ( Miller 860) When the witch trials had first started to begin in Salem it was the winter of 1692. John was always speaking against the trails and saying that the girls from the village were lying and just frauds. John was around 60 years old in real life when these events were taking place even though in the book he around his 30’sRead MoreEssay about The Crucible by Arthur Miller981 Words   |  4 PagesThe Crucible was based in 1692 in and around the town of Salem, Massachusetts, USA. The Salem witch-hunt was view as one of the strangest and most horrendous chapters in the human history. People that were prosecuted were all innocent and their deaths were all due to false accusation of people’s ridiculous belief in superstition and their paranoia. The Puritans in those times were very strict in personal habits and morality; swearing, drunkenness and gambling would be punished. The peopleRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1085 Words   |  5 PagesThe Crucible is a historical fiction play based on the Salem Witch trials. Throughout the book, Arthur Miller compares the Salem Witch Trials to the McCarthy Trials through intensive side monologues. Miller’s purpose in adding the McCarthy trials to the play is to show that history is periodic because of the reoccurring patterns within the two trials. The Salem Witch Trials, in The Crucible, and the McCarthy Trials show that history is periodic because of the reoccurring personality types, graveRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1355 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is history? Is it the study of past events to further understand the modern day, or is history merely an outlet to express one’s ideas by using past examples? History is both, and history is a powerful tool, such as when comparing two events to prove a point. Proving a point was a necessity for Arthur Miller during the 1950 ’s, and he proves his point through The Crucible, a play about the Salem Witch Trials. Miller attacks the red scare, which was a time of fear of communism growing in AmericaRead MoreA Delusion of Satan Essay980 Words   |  4 PagesTed Ford Dr. Strickland November 29, 2010 History 101 A Delusion of Satan A Delusion of Satan, was written by Frances Hill and covers in the personal situations of the people in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The book opens up describing the intense and strict life style of the Puritan. Then we go into discussion of the town of Salem at the time, being owned by mainly the Putman family. The pastor there, Samuel Parris, has lived there in Salem since 1689. He residesRead MoreThe Salem Witches: Real or Imagined?1289 Words   |  5 Pages The Salem Witches: Real or Imagined? The Salem Witch Trials began because of a mysterious illness contracted by 11-year old Abigail Williams and her cousin Betty Paris (Burgan). Instead of looking for a logical explanation, the community immediately jumped to the conclusion that witches caused the girls curious behavior. Doctors commonly would diagnose an unknown illness as witchcraft, rather than looking for other explanations (Wolfinger). Erot of Rye, which causes severe contortions and hallucinationsRead More The Urban Legend of a Witch in Maryland Essay1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe Legend of Moll Dyer: A Witch in Maryland The first time I heard this story was in Maryland. It was told by a woman in her thirties, who identified herself as being of Irish heritage, which made the story of Moll Dyer more close to her heart. She was also an anthropology major who has had contact with local folklorists in the past. This is where she first learned of the story of Moll Dyer, which she recounted to me as follows: Moll Dyer was an Irish immigrant to Saint Mary’s County, whereRead MoreThe Witch by Edilberto K. Tiempo2492 Words   |  10 PagesThe Witch By Edilberto K. Tiempo When I was twelve years old, I used to go to Libas, about nine kilometers from the town, to visit my favorite uncle, Tio Sabelo, the head teacher of the barrio school there. I like going to Libas because of the many things to eat at my uncle’s house: cane sugar syrup, candied meat of young coconut, corn and rice cakes, ripe jackfruit, guavas from trees growing wild on a hill not far from Tio Sabelo’s house. It was through these visits that I heard many strange storiesRead MoreThe Impact Of The Salem Witch Trials2018 Words   |  9 Pages The Salem Witch Hunt Introduction The Salem Witch Trials is a term that is used to refer to a series of different witchcraft cases that were taken to the local magistrates of a region known as Salem that happened to be considered as a part of the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 17th Century (Roach and Rosenthal 925). Additionally, it is important to note that the Salem Witch Trials have been considered to be amongst some of the darkest periods in the American trial history. The reason why the trails