dures seemed to be provoking—not prohibiting—the witchcraft troubles. And finally and most important, as the accusations continued, people of high and prominent social class were accused of witchcraft. Included in the latter was Nathaniel Saltonstall, the judge who recently retired from the Court of Oyer & Terminer. When accusations started affecting those of the upper class, things changed. At this point, Cotton Mather felt the court should be stopped because of the error in procedures based on spectral evidence and the accusations of obviously innocent people. Mather feared innocent people would be put to death in the future. However, he did not feel there was any innocent blood shed prior to this (Hansen, 1969).It would not be fair to blame any one person for the Salem witch trials because this can occur when the majority of a community feels itself so troubled by malice—whether real or imagined—that it loses the ability to distinguish between the innocent or guilty. During this time, the Puritans were fighting Native Americans for land. The warfare and witchcraft fed each other. Another point to ponder is the small pox epidemic, which further enhanced the frenzy state of Massachusetts. Some speculated that the seizures of the afflicted were a result of mold on rye bread. Considering the storage of bread in damp cellars, this is an excellent point to consider. However, even more importantly were the views of women during this period. Many of those executed were from lower classes or misfits of the community. Reflecting back, one could see them as independent women who dressed and acted the way they felt—not how the community expected them to behave. Furthermore, women had a limited role in society—she was the homemaker and was expected to care for children. However, during these trying times females didn’t have the outlet to relieve tension like males did. The Salem witch hunt was a sad time,...
