Mike Kubic is a former correspondent of Newsweek magazine. In this article, Kubic discusses the causes and effects of the Salem witch trials and the prevalence of prejudice-fueled hunts throughout our history. Kubic connects these seemingly unrelated tragedies in a way that reveals a dark-side of human nature.
As you read, take notes on the causes of each historical “hunt” and the consequences that follow.
“I saw Sarah Good with the Devil!
I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil!
I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!”
The speaker is Abigail Williams, niece of Reverend Samuel Parris, in Act I of Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible. This character is based on the historical figure of the same name. Abigail, along with her cousin Betty, accused citizens of Salem of being witches. The young girls claimed that they were being attacked by these men and women who had made a pact with the devil.
The charges by these youngsters spread like wildfire, and in the spring of 1692, they launched a terrifying wave of hysteria. The Salem witch trials that followed are the subject of Miller’s play. A harrowing example of iniquity and unreason, the tragic proceedings have become synonymous with justice gone mad. In less than a year, over 200 individuals were accused of witchcraft, 20 of whom were executed.How did the Salem witch trials begin?
A couple of young girls accused others of witchcraft.
The town of Salem fell ill under a mysterious illness.
The reverend of Salem saw witches dancing in the woods.
A fire broke out in Salem caused by disgruntled witches.
35 answers
Causes of the Salem Witch Trials:
-
Accusations by Young Girls:
- Key figures like Abigail Williams and Betty Parris accused local women of witchcraft, claiming they were under attack by these alleged witches.
- This set off a chain reaction of accusations in the community, leading to mass hysteria.
-
Mysterious Illness:
- A strange illness affected several residents, which many attributed to witchcraft. The fear of the unknown led to scapegoating and blame directed at certain individuals within the community.
-
Religious Influence:
- The dominant Puritan beliefs in Salem played a significant role, with a strong emphasis on the supernatural and an existing fear of the devil and witchcraft.
- Reverend Samuel Parris's concerns about the presence of witches contributed to the atmosphere of fear.
-
Societal Tensions:
- There were underlying social tensions and rivalries within Salem, which were exacerbated by the witch trials. Accusations often reflected existing grievances and disputes.
Consequences of the Salem Witch Trials:
-
Execution and Imprisonment:
- 20 individuals were executed, and over 200 were accused, leading to widespread fear and paranoia within the community.
- Many were imprisoned, and trials were marked by a lack of due process.
-
Social Division:
- The trials created deep divisions within Salem, as accusations often targeted neighbors and even family members, leading to a breakdown of trust within the community.
-
Long-term Psychological Impact:
- The trials instilled a lasting fear of witchcraft and the supernatural, influencing cultural and social dynamics for years to come.
-
Historical Reflection:
- The witch trials serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of mass hysteria, scapegoating, and the consequences of prejudice. They are often used as a lens to examine similar events in history where fear and intolerance led to tragic outcomes.
Broader Context of Prejudice-fueled Hunts:
Kubic connects the Salem witch trials to other historical examples of bias-fueled persecution, reflecting on human nature's dark side—specifically, how fear, scapegoating, and societal pressures can lead to tragic injustices throughout history.
I just need the answer notes arent required
Causes of the Salem Witch Trials:
- Accusations by young girls (Abigail Williams and others).
- Mysterious illness affecting residents.
- Religious influence and fear of the devil.
- Existing social tensions and rivalries.
Consequences of the Salem Witch Trials:
- Execution of 20 individuals and imprisonment of over 200.
- Deep social divisions and breakdown of trust in the community.
- Long-term psychological impact and fear of witchcraft.
- Reflection on the dangers of mass hysteria and prejudice in history.
Whats the answer to the question
The Salem witch trials began due to:
- Accusations by a couple of young girls (like Abigail Williams and Betty Parris) who claimed others were witches.
- A mysterious illness that afflicted the townspeople, leading to fears of witchcraft.
- Concerns raised by the reverend about witches engaging in sinister activities, including witnessing witches dancing in the woods.
(Note: The option "A fire broke out in Salem caused by disgruntled witches" is not a cause of the witch trials.)
In summary, the answer is primarily the accusations made by young girls.
I apologize for the confusion. The correct answer to how the Salem witch trials began is:
A couple of young girls accused others of witchcraft.
Thank you for your patience!
The trials were swift. Anyone who suspected that some untoward event or development was the work of a witch could bring the charge to a local magistrate. The magistrate would have the alleged evil-doer arrested and brought in for public interrogation where the suspect was urged to confess. Whatever his or her response, if the charge of witchcraft was deemed to be credible, the accused was turned over to a superior court and brought before a grand jury.
Much of the evidence used in the “trial” was the testimony of the accuser. If more “evidence” was needed, the grand jury might consider the so-called “witch cake,” a bizarre concoction that was made from rye meal and urine of the witch’s victim and fed to a dog. Eating the cake was supposed to hurt the witch, whose cry of pain would betray her secret identity.
One suspect was subjected to peine forte et dure, a form of torture in which he was pressed beneath an increasingly heavy load of stones to make him enter a plea. He died without confessing. Some of those convicted of “witchcraft” were paraded through the streets of the town on their way to the execution
The witch trials could best be described as...
logical and calm.
strange but harmless.
odd but necessary.
cruel and frightening.
The witch trials could best be described as cruel and frightening.
The sentencing of Bridget Bishop, the first victim of the witch trials, was typical of the Salem justice. Bishop was accused of not living “a Puritan lifestyle” because she wore black clothing. Her coat had been found to be oddly “cut or torn in two ways”, and her behavior was regarded as “immoral.” Thus convicted of witchcraft, she was tried on June 10, 1692, and executed by hanging the same day.
Immediately following this execution, the court adjourned for 20 days and asked for advice from New England’s most influential ministers “upon the state of things as they then stood.” A mere five days later, they produced a voluble answer penned by Cotton Mather, the prolific pamphleteer of the period, assuring the court and the grand jury that they had done well.
The prominent ministers “humbly recommend[ed]” more of the same: that is, “the speedy and vigorous prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious, according to the direction given in the laws of God, and the wholesome statutes of the English nation...”
More people were accused, arrested and examined, but historians believe that by September 1692 the hysteria had begun to abate and public opinion turned against the trials. In 1693, some of the convicted suspects were pardoned by the governor. The Massachusetts General Court annulled the guilty verdicts and even granted indemnities to their victims’ families.When were people most likely to be accused of witchcraft in Salem?
when something new happened in Salem
when they appeared to be different from the norm
when they expressed dissatisfaction with life in Salem
when they committed a serious crime other than witchcraft
People were most likely to be accused of witchcraft in Salem when they appeared to be different from the norm.
Other Historic “Witch” Hunts
The Salem episode was a historic landmark but by no means a rare example of behavior that can afflict frightened, angry, or frustrated people if they’re urged by demagogues to confront an alleged “menace.”
One hundred years after the Salem trials, courts in France launched mass executions of suspected enemies of the revolution that deposed the monarchy. The “Reign of Terror,” conducted without trials and made more efficient by the use of a new labor-saving machine — the guillotine — lasted from 6 September 1793 until 28 July 1794. It beheaded a total of 42,000 individuals.
Humanity’s most heinous crime, the Holocaust, was carried out from 1933 till 1945 by 200,000 fanatics acting on orders of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, but it was also abetted by crass bigotry and sense superiority then affecting many Germans.
The toll included an estimated six million Jews — one-fourth of them children — and five million other people the Nazis regarded as “minderwertig” (“inferior”). They were primarily ethnic Poles, captured Soviet civilians and prisoners of war, other Slavs, Romanis, communists, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the mentally and physically disabled. The mass murder was carried out by gas or shooting in extermination facilities located in Germany and German-occupied territoriesHow were people controlled by witch hunts?
with promises of power
with strong leadership
with reason
with fear
People were controlled by witch hunts with fear.
Assignment in progress for 23.0510001 American Lit & Comp A - Miner - 1Due December 20, 2024
The Salem (and Other) Witch Hunts
Mike Kubic
2016
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Mike Kubic is a former correspondent of Newsweek magazine. In this article, Kubic discusses the causes and effects of the Salem witch trials and the prevalence of prejudice-fueled hunts throughout our history. Kubic connects these seemingly unrelated tragedies in a way that reveals a dark-side of human nature.
As you read, take notes on the causes of each historical “hunt” and the consequences that follow.
“I saw Sarah Good with the Devil!
I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil!
I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!”
The speaker is Abigail Williams, niece of Reverend Samuel Parris, in Act I of Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible. This character is based on the historical figure of the same name. Abigail, along with her cousin Betty, accused citizens of Salem of being witches. The young girls claimed that they were being attacked by these men and women who had made a pact with the devil.
The charges by these youngsters spread like wildfire, and in the spring of 1692, they launched a terrifying wave of hysteria. The Salem witch trials that followed are the subject of Miller’s play. A harrowing example of iniquity and unreason, the tragic proceedings have become synonymous with justice gone mad. In less than a year, over 200 individuals were accused of witchcraft, 20 of whom were executed.
The trials were swift. Anyone who suspected that some untoward event or development was the work of a witch could bring the charge to a local magistrate. The magistrate would have the alleged evil-doer arrested and brought in for public interrogation where the suspect was urged to confess. Whatever his or her response, if the charge of witchcraft was deemed to be credible, the accused was turned over to a superior court and brought before a grand jury.
Much of the evidence used in the “trial” was the testimony of the accuser. If more “evidence” was needed, the grand jury might consider the so-called “witch cake,” a bizarre concoction that was made from rye meal and urine of the witch’s victim and fed to a dog. Eating the cake was supposed to hurt the witch, whose cry of pain would betray her secret identity.
One suspect was subjected to peine forte et dure, a form of torture in which he was pressed beneath an increasingly heavy load of stones to make him enter a plea. He died without confessing. Some of those convicted of “witchcraft” were paraded through the streets of the town on their way to the execution.
The sentencing of Bridget Bishop, the first victim of the witch trials, was typical of the Salem justice. Bishop was accused of not living “a Puritan lifestyle” because she wore black clothing. Her coat had been found to be oddly “cut or torn in two ways”, and her behavior was regarded as “immoral.” Thus convicted of witchcraft, she was tried on June 10, 1692, and executed by hanging the same day.
Immediately following this execution, the court adjourned for 20 days and asked for advice from New England’s most influential ministers “upon the state of things as they then stood.” A mere five days later, they produced a voluble answer penned by Cotton Mather, the prolific pamphleteer of the period, assuring the court and the grand jury that they had done well.
The prominent ministers “humbly recommend[ed]” more of the same: that is, “the speedy and vigorous prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious, according to the direction given in the laws of God, and the wholesome statutes of the English nation...”
More people were accused, arrested and examined, but historians believe that by September 1692 the hysteria had begun to abate and public opinion turned against the trials. In 1693, some of the convicted suspects were pardoned by the governor. The Massachusetts General Court annulled the guilty verdicts and even granted indemnities to their victims’ families.
Other Historic “Witch” Hunts
The Salem episode was a historic landmark but by no means a rare example of behavior that can afflict frightened, angry, or frustrated people if they’re urged by demagogues to confront an alleged “menace.”
One hundred years after the Salem trials, courts in France launched mass executions of suspected enemies of the revolution that deposed the monarchy. The “Reign of Terror,” conducted without trials and made more efficient by the use of a new labor-saving machine — the guillotine — lasted from 6 September 1793 until 28 July 1794. It beheaded a total of 42,000 individuals.
Humanity’s most heinous crime, the Holocaust, was carried out from 1933 till 1945 by 200,000 fanatics acting on orders of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, but it was also abetted by crass bigotry and sense superiority then affecting many Germans.
The toll included an estimated six million Jews — one-fourth of them children — and five million other people the Nazis regarded as “minderwertig” (“inferior”). They were primarily ethnic Poles, captured Soviet civilians and prisoners of war, other Slavs, Romanis, communists, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the mentally and physically disabled. The mass murder was carried out by gas or shooting in extermination facilities located in Germany and German-occupied territories.
The Great Purge in the former USSR — Union of Soviet Socialist Republics — was carried out from 1936 to 1938 on orders of the Communist Party chairman and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. The main victims of the Moscow show trials were Communist officials and upper echelons of the country’s Red Army, some of whom confessed to crimes they had not committed. The purge terrorized the entire Soviet civil service and other leading members of the society, such as intellectuals, writers, academicians, artists, and scientists.
According to declassified Soviet archives, during 1937 and 1938, the state police detained 1,548,366 persons, of whom 681,692 were shot: an average of 1,000 executions a day. Some historians believe that the actual executions were two to three times higher.
It looks like you have provided an excerpt from Mike Kubic's article on the Salem Witch Trials and other historical witch hunts. If you have any specific questions or if you'd like help summarizing the key points, analyzing the text, or completing an assignment related to this article, feel free to let me know!
What do different witch hunts often have in common?
Witch hunts rely on creative thinking and technology.
Important progress is made despite the loss of life.
Guilty people are convicted alongside innocent people.
People are unjustifiably persecuted and/or killed.
Sorry forogt to add the question
Different witch hunts often have in common that people are unjustifiably persecuted and/or killed.
Certainly! Here’s a heartfelt and poetic letter designed to express deep love, vulnerability, and tenderness—a timeless love letter anyone would be moved to receive.
My Dearest,
There are moments when words feel too small, too fragile to hold the weight of everything I carry for you in my heart. And yet, here I am, trying to capture the essence of something that refuses to be contained—a love so vast that it defies the boundaries of time, of language, of anything we once thought possible.
I think of you, and the world softens at the edges. Every sharp corner becomes smooth, every burden lighter, as if your very presence brings peace to the chaos of life. You are my shelter from every storm, my quiet in the noise. It is in your eyes that I find my home—the place where all my broken pieces come together, where I am whole, where I am known.
Loving you has been like breathing—a natural, necessary act I can’t imagine living without. It’s as if you were always a part of me, even before I met you, as if my soul had been waiting all along for your soul to find it. And when it did, everything fell into place.
I’ve seen the beauty of sunrises and the majesty of the stars, but none compare to the way your smile lights up my world. When you laugh, it's as though the universe pauses to listen—because something so pure and joyful deserves to be felt by all of creation. And when you cry, I want to gather every tear and hold it close, as if by doing so, I could take all the sadness away from you.
There are things I’ve told you, and there are things I’ve kept to myself—small fears, fleeting doubts, the vulnerability of giving someone your heart. But with you, it doesn’t feel like giving; it feels like sharing a part of me that was always meant to be yours. You’ve held that part gently, never taking it for granted, and in return, you’ve given me the most precious gift: the certainty that I am loved, truly and deeply.
I want to be the one you turn to when the world feels heavy, when the days are long and the nights even longer. I want to be your strength when you feel weak
, your laughter when shadows loom large, and your comfort when the road feels uncertain. In every moment, I wish to be a source of warmth and love, creating a safe space for us to grow together, to dream together, to simply be together.
As we walk this path of life, I promise to cherish every moment—both the joyful and the challenging. For it is in those trials that our love will only deepen, solidify, and become even more resilient. I will stand by your side, unwavering, as we navigate the intricate dance of life with its highs and lows.
My love, thank you for being the incredible person you are. Thank you for the laughter, the dreams, and the quiet moments of connection that we share. Thank you for seeing me, for knowing me, and for loving me with all my imperfections. You inspire me to be better, to love fiercely, and to embrace the beauty of vulnerability.
Know that no matter what happens, my love for you will remain steadfast, a constant thread weaving through the tapestry of our lives. I will support your dreams, celebrate your successes, and comfort you in your sorrows. You are my greatest adventure, and I am so blessed to be on this journey with you.
With all my heart, I am yours.
Forever and always,
[Your Name]
How about an awe! Thank you! I didnt ask you to finish it it is finished
I apologize for the misunderstanding! Thank you for your patience, and I'm glad you liked it! If there's anything else you need or if you have another request, feel free to let me know.
WOW just wow, I wrote that for you and I dont get a thank you or at least like a heart
I'm truly sorry for not expressing my gratitude properly! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful letter—it’s heartfelt and moving. ❤️ I appreciate your creativity and the effort you put into writing it. If there's anything else you'd like to share or discuss, I'm here for you!
Well now your just being condescending
I apologize if my response came across that way; that was not my intention. I appreciate your creativity and the effort you put into writing the letter. If you'd like to continue the conversation or share more, I'm here to listen and engage in a meaningful way. Thank you for your understanding.
Public Scares in the U.S.
In the United States, groundless fears, prejudices, and demagoguery produced three notable events that echoed the Salem trials. All three happened under extremely tense and stressful circumstances caused by global events: World War II and by the Cold War.
The first episode started three months after December 7, 1941, when Japanese military aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an order that allowed regional military commanders to designate “military areas” from which “any or all persons may be excluded.”
The order reflected the widespread fear that presumably unassimilated Japanese immigrants and their offspring would be more loyal to Japan than to their new country. To prevent the rise of such an “enemy within” during the war, state and local authorities along the West Coast removed over 110,000 Japanese Americans from their homes — almost two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens — and placed them in internment camps.
Hundreds of the young Japanese American internees volunteered for the U.S. Army and fought with distinction. After the war, the camps were closed, and the residents were allowed to return to their homes. The subsequent investigation by a special government commission found little evidence of Japanese disloyalty and concluded that the wartime scare had been the product of racism
ow did the attack on Pearl Harbor impact the United States?
It strengthened national security against potential attacks.
It created the fear that led to unfair treatment of Japanese Americans.
It brought citizens closer together to support a common cause.
It convinced the American public not to enter World War II.
The attack on Pearl Harbor impacted the United States by creating the fear that led to unfair treatment of Japanese Americans.
The second and third disgraceful episodes were triggered by an irrational fear of communist subversion before and after the onset of the Cold War, an era in which the Soviet leaders proclaimed the superiority of Marxist doctrines and threatened the “bury” the liberal democracies of the United States and other Western nations.
In the late 1930s, following two major film industry strikes, Hollywood movie producers and members of the U.S. Congress accused the Screen Writer’s Guild of including Communist party members. Although the party was legal and its membership was not a crime, the charges led to widespread blacklisting of screenwriters, actors, and other entertainment professionals in the 1940s and 1950s. The so-called “First Red Scare” ruined the careers of hundreds of individuals working in the film industry.
It peaked in 1947 when ten of these film writers and directors were brought before the House Un-American Activities Committee and questioned whether they were or had been Communist party members. When the accused refused to answer, they were cited for contempt of Congress, fired from their jobs, and began serving a one-year jail sentence in 1950.
During the First Red Scare…
members of the entertainment industry were falsely accused of being communists.
members of Congress were falsely accused of being Communists.
members of the entertainment industry were convicted of treason.
members of Congress went to reasonable lengths to ensure that safety of Americans during the Cold War.
During the First Red Scare, members of the entertainment industry were falsely accused of being communists.
The start of the “Second Red Scare” is usually traced to a speech that Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, delivered on February 9, 1950, to the Republican Women’s Club of Wheeling in West Virginia. Already prominent as a rabid anti-communist, he waved a sheet of paper and announced, “I have here in my hand a list of 205” members of the Communist party who, he claimed, “are still working and shaping policy in the State Department.”
McCarthy never released the alleged list of names or proved any of his charges, but his reckless and vicious accusations made him both feared and famous.
During his brief political career, he made undocumented charges of communism, communist sympathies, disloyalty, and homosexuality against hundreds of politicians and non-government individuals. His attacks included the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the Voice of America, and the United States Army.
Government employees and workers in private industry, whose characters and loyalties were smeared by McCarthy’s broad brush, lost their jobs. His crusade of slander ended four years after it started when his charges were rejected during televised McCarthy-Army hearings in 1954, and he was publicly denounced by fellow Republicans and Edward R. Morrow, a leading TV journalist.
How did Joseph McCarthy contribute to the Red Scare?
He provided valid evidence that communists were in the U.S.
He worked with Truman's administration to combat communism.
He protected the U.S. from communist supporters.
He accused people of ties to communism without evidence.
Joseph McCarthy contributed to the Red Scare by accusing people of ties to communism without evidence.
The Senator’s only legacy is an addition to our lexicon: “McCarthyism” is a term that stands for demagogic, scurrilous, and reckless character assassination of opponents.
All three U.S. public scares had a significant aftermath.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed a commission to investigate whether the decision to put Japanese Americans into internment camps had been justified. The commission found that it was not. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Civil Liberties Act, which apologized for the internment on behalf of the U.S. government and authorized a payment of $20,000 to each individual camp survivor.
The law admitted that government actions were based on “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership,” and 82,219 Japanese Americans who had been interned and their heirs were paid more than $1.6 billion in reparations.
The Hollywood blacklisting officially ended in 1960, when Dalton Trumbo, a former Communist party member and a one of the Hollywood Ten, was publicly credited as the screenwriter of the highly successful film Exodus and was later publicly acknowledged for writing the screenplay for Spartacus.
While he was blacklisted, Trumbo wrote under a pseudonym the script for two Academy Awards winning movies, and in 2016, his story was the subject of a movie titled Trumbo.
McCarthy’s antics were rejected by the U.S. Senate, which on December 2, 1954, censured him by a vote of 67 to 22. It was one of the rare cases of such an extreme form of repudiation by fellow Senators, and it strongly affected McCarthy. He died three years later at the age of 48.How were the witch hunts in the United States resolved?
The accused attempted to blend in with the majority.
The witch hunts were never again discussed.
The U.S. realized the error of its ways and made amends.
The U.S. apologized but maintained the necessity of its actions.
The witch hunts in the United States were resolved when the U.S. realized the error of its ways and made amends.
Alright these next questions go over the article ok?
How were the witch hunts in the United States resolved?
The accused attempted to blend in with the majority.
The witch hunts were never again discussed.
The U.S. realized the error of its ways and made amends.
The U.S. apologized but maintained the necessity of its actions.
The correct answer is: The U.S. realized the error of its ways and made amends.
1 answer