What is there about the society of Salem which allowed the girls’ stories to be believed?

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What is there about the society of Salem which allowed the girls' stories to be believed?

In a small Puritan town called Salem in 1692, a group of young girls were discovered dancing and supposedly 'conjuring spirits' in the woods, something that was strictly forbidden by Puritan law. Ironically the girls avoided punishment by accusing others of the very things of which they were guilty. This led to a cycle of distrust, accusation, arrest and conviction in the town. The girls were totally believed and even praised throughout the witch trials. No one thought it could be possible that they were lying. Hence, by the end of 1692, the Salem court had convicted and executed nineteen men and women for practising witchcraft. But what was it that led the girls' stories to be believed?

The Massachusetts Bay colony was founded by a group of Puritan settlers who arrived from England in 1630. They had been persecuted in England under the rule of James 1 and after his rule they left to create a 'New Jerusalem' in America. In this settlement, there was only one religion, the Protestant one. The town of Salem was surrounded by forest inhabited by Indians. Initially the Puritans tried hard to convert the Indians but they had failed. Consequently the forest, where the 'heathen' Indians lived was considered to be not just evil but the 'Devil's last preserve'. This belief contributed to all the uproar that was made about the girls being in the forest in the first place.

The Puritans were very simple, hard working people who had virtually no pleasure in their lives.

Their life consisted of working the fields and going to church which was a must. They considered material and physical wants , especially sexual desire as the devil's work and a threat to the society. Dancing, courting and having fun were also considered by the ministers as socially unacceptable behaviour. The Puritans had no religious tolerance for inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour and punished any 'guilty' individuals severely. Witchery in particular was a 'hanging error'.
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A key factor which contributed significantly, to the tragedy, namely the townsfolk's unusually strong belief in superstitions. Belief in the power of witches and the persecution of witches by the church was widespread throughout Europe. The Pilgrim Fathers shared these beliefs and carried them across the ocean to America. Witches were thought to be in league with the devil (who was their master). Whilst the devil himself was believed to roam the earth looking for souls to tempt into hell. Witches were also thought to have special powers, such as the ability to change shape and simply bewitch ...

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