Puritans And The Salem Witch Trials - 978 Words

Introduction Puritans had many beliefs that affected the Salem Witch Trials, these were based on how the attendance or lack of attendance of the church, how people should behave, social class, and the way the government should be handled. Puritans were English Protestants that came to America in 1630. They sought to reform the Church of England. When they first came to America they settled at Salem, Massachusetts. The main reason the Puritan’s came to Salem was for freedom of religion which they did not have in England. The Puritans also came because they believed that the Church of England was not religious or enforcing religion enough. Puritans were just like the Pilgrims. Years later the Salem Witch Trials started in 1692 and ended†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Were influenced by the Bible, â€Å"the book of Exodus (22:18) says: ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.’† (qtd. in Oster 216) †¢ Puritans â€Å"encompassed to enjoy God’s ordinance in prime purity† (Peterson 10) Salem Village and Town When the Puritans first came to America, they settled in Salem, Massachusetts. In Salem there was a village and a town. The richer would live in the town, as the less fortunate would live in the village. In the village †¦ in the town†¦ Since the Puritans governed themselves, they chose the laws and how to run the government. In the village and town going to church was one of the most important things to Puritans. It was so important, that they would go to Church every single day. Anybody that would not attend church was frowned upon and was in fact illegal. Having a church membership, however did have its benefits. The citizens of Salem that did attend church were able to vote. This caused for church members to have a considerable amount of power and influence, they would practically run the church and decide everything. Since the Puritans established Salem they decide all the rules, because they saw it as their â€Å"responsibility toward God† (Marlowe 29). This explains why they were so strict with their lives and church. The government the Puritans ran had no religious freedom,Show MoreRelatedThe Salem Witch Trials For The Puritan Community1398 Words   |  6 Pages A Town Submerged in Hysteria Cornelius Asmerom History To 1877 Professor Corye Beene October 23, 2014 The Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials were a devastating time period in 1692 for the Puritan community which resulted in 20 innocent people executed. Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts 9 years before the Puritans landed in Massachusetts Bay. 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