Witchcraft

Contributors: Isabella Crowley

 

Abstract: Interviews: Images and Resources: Bibliography:

 

Abstract:

     The Puritans and the Pilgrims went to Massachusetts to escape religious persecution from the King of England.  In America they believed they could practice their religion and still hold onto their English ways.  Strangely enough they started persecuting others.  They persecuted people who were different from them.  They called these people witches.  Witchcraft in Colonial America was important because it gave people a way to eliminate outcasts.  The goal of this paper is to explain the horrors of witchcraft in Colonial America and what happened during the Salem Witchcraft Trails. 

     Here are some key points of my paper:

• The Salem Witchcraft Trails
• Punishments of witchcraft
• Tests done on the accused witches
• Who could be accused of witchcraft
• Witchcraft today       

     Witchcraft was a major form of persecution in Colonial America.  They had many tests for witches and people who were accused of witchcraft went through a lot of torture for something that did not even exist.  Today, people are still persecuted for witchcraft around the world especially in Africa.  These people believe that witches are real and they torture and sometimes even kill children because they believe they are witches.  I cannot tell you what was going on in the minds of the Puritans, but I can tell you what is going on in mine.  What happened to those people who were accused of witchcraft just because they were different was not fair and what is happening to today has to be stopped.  Just because you are afraid of change and fear it, doesn’t mean you can persecute others to stop it.  When will people finally stop persecuting others because they are different?            

 

Interviews:

 

 

Images and Resources:

 

 

Bibliography:

Aronson, Mark.  Witch-hunts.  New York, New York:  Atheneuim Books For Young Readers, 2003.

 

Bugan, Michael.  The Salem Witchcraft Trail.  Minneapolis, Minnesota: Compass Point Books, 2005.

 

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen.  “Witchcraft” World Book W, X, Y, Z.  Chicago: World Book Inc., 2006.

 

Hakim, Joy.  Making Thirteen Colonies.  New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

 

Laren.  “Witchcraft Craze History.”  5 October 2007.  www.geocities.com/Athens/2962/history/demographics.html

 

Meltzer, Milton.  Witches and Witch-hunts.  New York, New York: The Blue Sky Press, 1999. 

 

Official at the church in Williamsburg.  Personal interview.  25 October 2007.

 

Presenter # 1 at Williamsburg Courthouse.  Personal interview.  25 October 2007.

 

Presenter # 2 at Williamsburg Courthouse.  Personal interview.  25 October 2007.

 

Vick, Vanessa.  “African Crucible: Cast as Witches, Then Cast Out.” The New York Time.  15 November 2007: front page and A10.   

 

Wilson, Lee.  The Salem Witch Trails.  Minneapolis Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1997.

 

“Witch Madness.”  [Online].  30 October 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EPF/is_8_100/ai_66677904/print