Salem Lifestyle Triggers Death The Salem Witchcraft Trials were part of an important time in colonial history. Taking place in 1692, the trials were triggered by a group of girls gathering to read palms. What started as a session of innocent palm readings, though, turned into a series of courtroom meetings. The trials resulted in chaos and disruption throughout the town of Salem. Various causes for the trials existed, but among these reasons were the religious state of the community, the unstable condition of the village, and the colonists’ way of life. The colonists of Salem village were Puritans, and the preachings of this religion played a major role in the cause of the trials. The religion in the colony was based upon Puritan theology. Puritan theology was influenced by John Calvin, who believed that the “elect” would prosper (Burner 43). All of the Puritans believed that God set up the social classes in each community. If someone was meant to prosper during their life, God was the reason that person was born into a wealthy class. Every person lived their life the way God intended them to live it. The felt resentment towards any people who went against this belief. For example, the Nurses were a family that had gained wealth during the course of time, and were not originally born into a high social class. The resentment that many colonists had towards the Nurses influenced why the Nurses were accused and held as suspects in the courts of Salem (Starkey 65). Followers of the Puritan religion also believed that all people made a covenant with God. For this reason, they all lived together in harmony with God (Burner 43). This would explain why people were so hasty in accusing people of witchcraft. The Puritans did not want anyone breaking the harmonious world that they lived in. The Puritans also believed strongly in the Bible. All religious followers were expected to believe anything that was writt...
