Introduction
The Salem Witch Trials refer to a number of judicial trials complete with jury hearings superintended by commissioners of Assize that took place in several towns within New England. The defendants were charged with witchcraft and upon conviction hanged, with most of the trails being conducted in the town of Salem within the colony of Massachusetts. The most curious thing about the Salem Witch Trials was that they took place in the New England area itself based on the nature of populace that had landed and settled in this area (Mundra et al., 2016). The psychological concept of mass hysteria has also been closely related with the study of these trials. From a historical perspective however, these trials were simply a part of a wider phenomenon that had been taking place within Christendom both in the Americas and Europe. The notoriety of the Salem Witch Trials is therefore based on the conjunction of a variety of factors relating to both the American people and the Christian theology of the Early Modern Times.
Characteristics of New England and Salem
The trials took place between February 1692 and May 1693 which is about half a century after the settlement of Puritans in the New England area. Puritans deferred exponentially from most of the other settlers who came to the new world. This is because most puritans were well educated and generally of a noble birth. The kind of characteristics that inform mass hysteria and the level of injustice that would result to the aforesaid trials would therefore seem alien to such a people (Mundra et al., 2016). History however, records a troubled situation more so around the Salem area at the times preceding the Salem trials. The families were not well settled and many land disputes were ongoing. Further, religious doctrines were undergoing major mutations through the development of protestant theology (Blumberg, 2007).
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These created a high propensity for religious fundamentalism. The relationship between the general Church and the Salem community was indeed troubled with the village insisting on having their own preacher yet failing to pay two consecutive preachers. One of these preachers, George Burroughs was to eventually be hanged upon trial for witchcraft in 1692. The analysis above introduces two significant issues. The first is religious fundamentalism informed by transformation of protestant theology. The second is partisan interest based on land or individual disputes (Mundra et al., 2016).
American Beliefs and Ideologies that Made the Salem Witch Trials Possible
Two major American principles made the Salem trials possible. The first was the fusion of church and state with the second being absolute belief in the letter of the law. The combination of the two is best seen at the execution of George Burroughs. His ability to recite the Lord’s Prayer at the scaffold made many people belief in his innocence. Harvard trained preacher Cotton Mather was however able to convince the crowds that since Burroughs had been convicted by a court of law, his execution was just. A church minister quoting the law was enough to make the most unjust of acts be construed as an act of justice (Mundra et al., 2016).
These two philosophical principles have however been completely transformed in the contemporary world. Freedom of conscience is currently a constitutional right. America is now a secular state with the church and state separated. Further, the law is no longer considered as an absolute source of justice. Indeed, today it is possible for a court to rule that a law is unjust or an act undertaken as per the law amounted to a manifest injustice and therefore cannot stand. A repeat of the circumstances that created the Salem justice would therefore be resolved differently today (Mundra et al., 2016).
Perspective Discussion of the Events Leading to the Trials
Settlers to the new world were either driven by commerce or rebellion. Commercial settlers mostly came to the Southern parts of the USA and meant to exploit the potential of the Americas in furtherance of the British Empire. Most of the settlers in the New England area can however, be considered as religious rebels. Most of them had left England because they were uncomfortable with the theology of the Church of England. These individuals did not agree on what was the right religion but only on what was wrong with the Anglican Church. The freedom available in New England allowed for Christian experimentation without logical control by a central church force. This made religious extremism inevitable (Mundra et al., 2016).
The extremism unfortunately opened and opportunity for unscrupulous people to abuse religion as a means for settling personal scores. Most of the people who were accused of witchcraft faced accusers who had secondary grudges against them such as land disputes and debts (Blumberg, 2007). These people abused the system to achieve personal ends. The availability of proper modes of investigation before indictment would have however, avoided abuse of process as happened. Unfortunately, investigations were done in extremely mundane designs and by unqualified people. The system of criminal procedure at the time was also extremely wanting. Anyone who was arrested was forced to take a plea without any investigations being conducted. If one refused to take a plea they would be tortured to death as happened to Giles Corey (Mundra et al., 2016). A better legal system with such rules as probable cause would also have prevented the Salem Witch Trials.
Conclusion
The Salem Witch Trials can be blamed on a troublesome community who through experimenting on religion developed fundamentalism. This fundamentalism created mass hysteria which was taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals. The situation was exacerbated by poor criminal procedure rules which did not allow for investigation. The judicial procedure was also wanting with the church playing major state roles. This situation has however been amended by contemporary trends with the state being secular and criminal procedure being exponentially advanced. A repeat of the Salem Witch Trials today would, therefore, not be possible.
References
Blumberg, J. (2007, October 23). A brief history of the Salem witch trials. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/
Mundra, L. S., Maranda, E. L., Cortizo, J., Augustynowicz, A., Shareef, S., & Jimenez, J. J. (2016). The Salem witch Trials—Bewitchment or Ergotism. JAMA Dermatology , 152 (5), 540. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.4863
