Ergotism

Selena Rodriguez Professor Martinez ENGL2327-103 1 October, 2016 Salem Salem, when people hear this word their mind goes back to a time in history when innocent people suffered for being wrongly accused of a wrong doing. In the late 1600s, people in Massachusetts were being blamed and prosecuted for crimes they did not commit. The people of Massachusetts would be held accountable for crimes they did not commit and end up paying with their life. People like Cotton Mathers had something to say…

Were socioeconomic tensions responsible for the witchcraft hysteria in Salem? YES Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum believe that the political and economic tensions among the people of Salem, Massachusetts are to blame for the chaos in regards to witchcraft. They compare the events to a dramatic set piece where the town was in a power battle between political members and clergymen with the common folk and famers. Farmers were adamant about not becoming a part of commercial communism, wanting a…

massive incident in the 17th century. However, it is more likely that a scientific conclusion could have explained the causes of the mass hysteria. There is a very strong possibility that the whole thing must have started due to being infected by ergotism. Enough evidence has been presented in this modern day and age that justifies the actions rather than it being a case of witchcraft. However, due to superstitious beliefs and blind faith 200 lives suffered the punishment during the time and…

compelling theory examines the possible side effects of consuming ergot-contaminated foods, not unlike the abnormal behaviors of the accused including muscle spasms, vomiting, and hallucinations. Linda Caporael was the first to propose the theory of ergotism and affirms that the aforementioned characteristics are aligned with the symptoms displayed by individuals suffering from ergot mold poisoning. Marion Starkey takes a more psychological approach in examining the causes of the Salem witch…

The fear that swept Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 was like a plague. Thousands of men, women, and children were put on trial for supposed witchcraft. Many innocent people were actually killed during these events. Everyone was on their toes about the mass of events happening in Salem. The Salem Witch Trials were unfair, odd, and caused way too much confusion. The trials were very odd considering the history behind it. Witchcraft began making its appearance around 560 B.C., although it wasn’t such…

There were many strange actions among the Puritans who resided in Salem, a village in Massachusetts. In Rosalyn Schanzerś WITCHES The Absolutely True Tale Of Disaster In Salem, many people of Salem thought the act of witchery was involved. However, they did not consider the possibility of an illness or disease they could have contracted. In 1692, Reverend Parris’s two daughters, Betty and Abigail, started to act abnormally. This included very unusual symptoms such as contortions and…

Running Head: WITCHES IN SALEM The Occurrences of Witches in Salem Amber James Kankakee Valley High School The Occurrences of Witches in Salem Amber James Kankakee Valley High School Introduction In 1692, the witch trials swept through Salem, Massachusetts, Europe, and New England. Later on in 1953, Arthur Miller wrote his play “The Crucible.” Miller historically based his play off of the Salem witch trials. Most of the content used in this play was accurate to what…

Think of an urge that is almost uncontrollable to ignore. This is what the citizens of Strasbourg began to feel in July of the year 1518. All along the streets, and anywhere that could be seen, the people of the city were involved in an uncontrollable dance. Only heart attacks and strokes would result in the ending of the dance. While this may sound unbelievable, or unintelligent, the victims could not help their ill-decided fate. When the first woman, known as Frau Troffea, began to dance,…

The Salem witch trials began in February 1692 when two young children, Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris, began to act in a strange manner (chronology of events relating to the Salem witch trials, n.d.), showing signs of fits and hysterics (important persons in the Salem court records, n.d.). During this period in time where fear of the devil was much more common and superstition was a part of daily life for practically everyone it was easiest to blame witchcraft when both girls spoke of…

Throughout history there are few events that have brought as much debate, controversy, and overall curiosity as the Salem Witch Trials did. Although only nine months took place between the first witch accusations and the last, the period of the Salem Witch Trials had a lasting impression on American minds. Three hundred years later and there is still a specific aspect of literature looking to fix blame for the ordeal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony witchcraft trials. In some ways, the very fact…