Student Question
How does prejudice emerge during the Salem Witch Trials and why were specific groups targeted?
Quick answer:
Prejudice during the Salem Witch Trials emerged from societal fears and targeted marginalized groups such as outsiders and women with unconventional lifestyles. The first accused were Tituba, a slave; Sarah Good, a beggar; and Sarah Osborn, a woman with a questionable reputation. This pattern mirrored historical prejudices where accusations of witchcraft were used to persecute marginalized individuals. The trials escalated until high-profile accusations, like that of the governor's wife, prompted their cessation.
The Salem Witch Trials in 1692–1693 stemmed from prejudice against marginalized groups. A slave from the West Indies, Tituba, was accused first. Another accused was Sarah Good, a beggar who smoked a pipe. The third woman was Sarah Osborn. Osborn was a property owner, but she was in poor health and she was rumored to be involved in an extramarital affair. These unfortunate women were not part of the mainstream of Salem society.
Accusations of witchcraft had been used to target certain groups for hundreds of years. In the early fourteenth century in France, the Knights Templar were accused of many crimes, including witchcraft. In medieval Europe and early America, fervent religious beliefs and superstitions were paramount, and powerful accusers took advantage of this phenomenon to persecute select groups.
After the initial persecution of the three accused witches, the situation in Salem snowballed, and hundreds more were accused. When the wife of the Massachusetts governor William Phips was accused, he ended the witch trials.
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