Salem Witch Case Trial

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What were the events that led up to the Salem witch trials of 1692? This is a question that has been in the works for over three hundred years, still without a specific answer (Trask, 2). This is because of the various factors and events that helped influence the trials (Trask, 4). The main factors that started and fueled the trials were religion, politics, the cold winter months, economics, and the imaginations and fears of the townspeople (Trask, 3). I assure you, the trials of Salem Village were nothing like you would expect. The residents of Salem were split up in two: those who wanted to separate from Salem Town, and those who did not (Boyer, 39). The citizens who wanted to separate from Salem Town were mainly the farming families who lived in the western part of Salem Village (Boyer, 39, 50). The residents who wanted to remain a part of Salem town were usually located on the eastern side of Salem Village who were closest to Salem Town (Boyer, 39, 50). The residents who wanted to remain a part of Salem Town were tied to its harbors because of the money it brought in (Boyer, 39, 50). The families that were involved with farming believed that the growth of the town, with its expanding economy made it too exclusive (Starkey, 25). This exclusiveness made it contrast with the Puritan ways of everyone working as a team to make things run smoothly (Starkey, 25). They were not in tune with the rest of Salem Village. The Puntman’s were one farming family that felt very strongly towards this subject (Starkey, 25). The Puntman’s owned most the farming land in Salem Village (Boyer 133-151). Because they believed Salem Town was becoming too exclusive, they wanted to establish a congregation on their own, apart from Salem Town (Boyer, 133-1). By 1689, a congregation was formed under the local Reverend, Samuel Parris (Boyer, 133-1). Although they had their own
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