Publisher's Synopsis
Salem WitchcraftIn the winter of 1692 in Salem Village, little Betty Parris was sick, running about making strange shrieks and hiding under furniture. The contagion spread to other girls. The diagnosis was that these afflicted girls were bewitched. It was the beginning of a witch hunt to seek out the culprits. About 150 people were accused as witches and imprisoned. Twenty were executed and eight died in prison. Why did the Salem witch-hunt become widespread and out of control? Many explanations have been given. The most popular explanations claim that various disturbing political and religious factors came together and formed a perfect storm. In other words, the Salem witch trials were caused by accidental encounters of disparate events. However, this explanation is counter to history. The witch trial of Joan of Arc took place at Rouen, Normandy in 1431. Carried out by an English-backed church court, her conviction was predetermined. She was burned at the stake. It was not an accident; it was arson. In the inquisition and in the northern European witch trials, it was the same. Salem was no exception. The Puritan old guard (who ruled Massachusetts) seized upon the opportunity presented by witchcraft allegations in Salem Village in 1692. Instead of extinguishing the fire, the old guard fanned the flames and turned the conflagration into a firestorm. Their purpose was to affirm that they were in power in Massachusetts and that they would continue to be in power under the new royal charter.
