Causes and Effects of the Salem Witch Trials Essay

1692 in Salem, Massachusetts was a time of fear, allegation, and deceit. It was the time of the Salem witch trials. Family feuds, eccentric personalities, and even keeping dolls in your home were reasons for accusations. Fueled by religious fanatics and young girls screaming for attention, literally, no one was safe from the insanity of the witch-hunt. This paper is intended to discuss the causes of this hysteria, some of the trials that took place during the year 1692, and what finally stopped the madness of the witch-hunt. The Salem witch trials were fueled by many different things, but the beginning of this hysteria can be traced back to a small group of girls in Salem Village. Betty Parris, a nine-year-old girl with poor health, lived with her father Rev. Samuel Parris, who was the local minister, her mother, an invalid, and her cousin, Abigail Williams. Abigail Williams was a twelve-year-old orphan who worked for her keep; she did most of the chores because of Betty’s illness and cared for her aunt. When they were finished with their chores, there was not much for the girls to do; Rev. Parris objected to games because he thought that â€Å"playing was a sign of idleness, and idleness allowed the Devil to work his mischief.† (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) Reading books was a popular pastime during the winter. Most popular, were Books about fortune telling and prophecy. These were read, unsurprisingly, mostly by young girls and adolescents. Some of the girls who read these books forme d small groups to use the divination techniques that they had read about. Betty, Abigail, and two other girls formed one of these groups and were assisted by the Parris family’s’ black slave, Tituba. (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) Tituba, who was originally from Barbados, was very knowledgeable about the voodoo religion, and often told the girls stories of voodoo, witchcraft, and demons. Other girls began to join the group to listen to Tituba’s stories and tell their fortunes. Betty and Abigail were disquieted by their fortunes and began to act strangely. They were â€Å"having fits, making strange noises, and contorting their bodies.† (http://www.paralumun.com) Rev. Parris noticed their odd behavior and asked the help of Dr. William Griggs. Dr. Griggs could find nothing wrong with the girls medically, so he said they were bewitched. The girls were asked to name the witches that had bewitched them and they spoke  the names of three women. Tituba, Sarah Osborne, and Sarah Good were all very likely witches. Sarah Osborne had not been to church in over a year, and Sarah Good was homeless and went door to door asking for alms, if turned away empty handed, Sarah Good would mumble words as she left t hat many thought were curses. The cases of the three women were investigated at the Salem Village Meetinghouse. During their questioning, Betty, Abigail, and six of their friends often claimed that the women’s spirits were biting them pinching them or appearing as a small animal or bird. Despite the girls, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne said they were innocent. Tituba, however, confessed to being a witch. Her confession consisted of â€Å"red rats, talking cats, and a tall man dressed in black. She stated that the man clothed in black made her sign in a book, and that Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and others, whose names she could not read, had also signed this book.† (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) Tituba continued, saying that a black dog had threatened her and made her to hurt the girls. She also said that she had â€Å"ridden through the air on a pole to witches meetings with the other two accused.† (http://www.paralumun.com) Then Tituba stated that there were about six other witches and their leader was a tall white-haired man. (http://www.paralumun.com) Tituba’s t hree-day confession confirmed the villager’s beliefs and initiated the Salem witch trials. As the trials gained momentum, no one was safe from accusations; the girls accused people regardless of age, health, or public opinion. Everyone was at risk of being accused, from the very young, such as Dorcas Good, a four-year-old boy who was jailed and put in chains; to the old and well liked, like Rebecca Nurse who was a seventy-one year old lady and was considered kind and generous. Abigail Hobbs was already mentally unstable when she was charged with witchcraft. She confessed and gave the names of nine other witches. The judges accepted her confession instead of dismissing her as insane. On April 21, 1692, Nehemiah Abbot, William and Deliverance Hobbs, Sarah and Edward Bishop, Mary Ester, Mary Black, Sarah Wilds, and Mary English were arrested because of Abigail Hobbs’s accusations. (http://www.paralumun.com) Bridget Bishop had been charged with witchcraft twelve years ago; she had been tried but not convicted. When there was work being done on her cellar, â€Å"poppets † were found in the walls. Some of them  were without heads and they were all stuck with pins. She was tried on June 2, 1692, and hanged June 10, 1692. Rebecca Nurse was tried on June 29, 1692. The jury found Rebecca Nurse not guilty but when they revealed their verdict in her case, the girls â€Å"howled, thrashed about, and rolled around on the floor. With the courtroom in an uproar, the judges asked the jury to reconsider its decision† (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) Rebecca Nurse was found guilty, and hanged July 19, 1692. Rev. George Burroughs was the former Salem Village minister. He was accused of being the coven leader of all the witches in Massachusetts. (http://www.paralumun.com) The girls also called him the â€Å"Black Minister† and agreed that he was the leader of the Salem Coven. He had been widowed three times, and there was a rumor that he had mistreated his wives. When he was angry, he would sometimes brag about his demonic powers. He was tried on August 5, 1692, found guilty, and hanged on August 19, 1692. When he was being hanged, Rev. Burroughs said the Lord’s Prayer perfectly. The Puritans believed that a wizard could not say the Lord’s Prayer without error. (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) During the winter of 1692-93, the witch trials began to loose public support. A man named Giles Corey who was accused of witchcraft refused to stand trial and was crushed to death. This, Rev. Burroughs’ prayer, and a letter written by an accused asking â€Å"if it be possible, that no more innocent blood be shed, which undoubtedly cannot be avoided in the way and course you go in.† (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) This and the fact that the Governors wife had been accused of witchcraft caused the Governor to issue orders to protect those accused of witchcraft and ban the arrest of other suspected witches unless it was necessary on October 12, 1692. People began to ignore the cries of witchcraft and the last trial was held in January of 1693. In May of 1693, the governor ended the witch trials for good when he pardoned all of the remaining accused. With nineteen hanged and one crushed, the Salem witch trials finally ended. (http://www.salemwitchtrials.com) This is how the Salem witch trials began and ended. In my opinion, the Salem witch-hunt was revolting. The destruction of innocent human lives was atrocious. I think that the â€Å"witches† were all in the imaginations of a few girls who wanted attention and power.

Ap in Cold Blood

Rakshitha Mohankumar 11-16-12 AP English Language Period 3 Timed Writing: In Cold Blood Option C In part three of Capote's In Cold Blood, the book gives a more clear understanding of how Perry and Dick came to know of the Clutters and earned their â€Å"score†. It has detailed excerpts from interviews with Floyd Wells, Dick's friend from prison who is also the same person who tells him everything he needs to know about the Clutters, as well as, Mr and Mrs. Hickock, Dick's parents who are worried for their son and concerned about his whereabouts.The author was able to create and portray a good amount of sympathy for Dick's parents by making them appear poor and gentle as well as by how they speak about their son, and are willing to forgive him for his mistakes. In creating sympathy for the parents, the author also indirectly creates some sympathy for Dick by using certain quotes, by Mr. Hickock, that describe his life before he went into prison. There are many ways in which Tru man Capote portrays sympathy for the Hickocks in this section. He uses interviews from the locals who live around where Dick's family lives.When Officer Nye investigates the nearby folks, one farmer's wife tells him,â€Å"Don't talk to me about Dick Hickock! If ever I met the devil! [†¦ ] Dick would've gone to jail more times than you can count, except nobody around here ever wanted to prosecute out of respect for his folks. † Essentially, she is trying to say that although Dick gets into plenty of trouble, no one ever really says anything about it, out of kindness to his parents, who are â€Å"both plain and honest people. † Capote also uses certain phrases and quotes that stand out to the reader, which in turn evokes sympathy, from the interview with Dick's parents themselves. He wanted to go on to college. Study to be an engineer . But we couldn't do it. Plain didn't have the money. Never have had any money. † The fact that they are not a rich and well-of f family is made clear when Mr. Hickock says that he couldn't afford to send his son to college. This also is an indication of how Dick's life would have turned out to be different than what it was currently, if he had gone to college. Both Dick's parents never really blame their son for his faults. Rather, they blame it on someone or something else. â€Å"That friend of his. That's what happened† is what Mrs.Hickock tells Officer Nye, implying that Perry is the one who was at fault for all the mishaps that Dick had been burdened with. They are typical parents, painting their son in perfect light, and thinking that in no way is he at fault, instead, only badly influenced. The author, by creating sympathy for the parents also creates sympathy for Dick and makes him seem more human. He uses a quote from Dick's father â€Å"I've not got long, I'm with cancer, and Dick knowed that, and not a month ago, right before he took off, he told me, ‘Dad, you've been a pretty good o ld dad to me.I'm not ever gonna do nothing more to hurt you. ‘[†¦ ] That boy has plenty of good inside of him. † In the first two parts of the book, Dick is known to have cared for his family and this just elaborates on that fact. It humanizes Dick and makes him more compassionate. It shows that he is wary of how he has upset his parents and that he is not deliberately hurting them. The aforementioned quote also makes the reader sympathize for the father because it states that he has cancer and knows he is not going to live long.Adding in a disease or illness of sorts always has some sentimental effect on the reader and the author must have chosen this particular quote for that purpose. One last quote that stood out as a form of sympathy for Dick's parents is â€Å"Ashamed and afraid. Of what he's done. Of how he's hurt us again. And afraid because he thinks we won't forgive him. Like we always have. And always will. † This quote is from Mrs. Hickock and it s ignifies a parent's, or more specifically, a mother's love for her child. As Dick's parents, they are always willing to forgive him no matter how many mistakes he has made or how badly he has hurt them.He is their son and it shows that, no matter what kind of a person he turned out to be, they have and always will love him and be there for him. This creates sympathy, more for Dick's parents rather than Dick himself, because it signifies that they are good, loving, and caring parents who see past the faults and errors of their children. There are a few people who might say Dick is â€Å"undeserving† of such loving and kind-hearted people for parents. These are just a few outstanding ways in which Truman Capote portrayed sympathy for Mr and Mrs. Hickock.

This Case Study Analysis coursework consists in writing an ethical Essay - 1

This Case Study Analysis coursework consists in writing an ethical reasoning and critical argument to identify, discuss and address potential ethical issues for a given computing project - Essay Example y systems have taken different dimensions because not only do the ethical issues arise due to the emergence of technology but also due to the implementation by the users. Moreover, the ethical issues may also involve the role of the developer of the system concerning the objective of the information technology system. The following analysis aims to identify the ethical issues surrounding a class project concerning intellectual property and reliability of the project. The case study for the analysis is based on the student workload tracker project. The student Workload tracker project was developed under the oversight of two administrator and nine project members who contributed towards the development of the project. The student workload tracker project was aimed at developing a computer system that would enhance the scheduling process of student’s assignments in school. In an ordinary learning environment students attempt to struggle balancing assignments, academic studies and social life. Subsequently, this makes the students to be overwhelmed since especially when they lack proper time management skills. Therefore, the student workload tracker project was aimed at developing a time management schedule based on the analysis of students’ routine activities and the normal time spent on completing a specific activity. Consequently, the system would use the data to present a trend based on various analytical tools such as graphs and charts. In addition a user interface would be used to enhance the appearance of the data in order to provide a clear view of the students’ task performance trends. Therefore based on the portrayed trend by the system, the students would be in a position to create a reliable schedule based on sequence of assignments and the anticipated time for completing relevant tasks. The implementation of the Student Workload tracker system was assessed on the basis of functionality and achievement of the deliverables by the group members.

Secondhand Smoke in Asthmatic Children Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Secondhand Smoke in Asthmatic Children - Article Example Results of the study conducted by Dr. Robert McMillen and others (2003), show that 70% of US adult smokers do not prohibit or do not have smoking prohibitions at home which puts their spouses', children's and other inhabitants' health at risk. The same study confirmed that parent's cigarette consumption influence their children's exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) (McMillen, 2003). According to Randall (2006), secondhand smoke, also known as passive smoke, is the involuntary breathing of other people's smoke. In his study, he found out that more than 40% of British children live in a house with at least one person smoking. And secondhand smoke being worse than firsthand smoke, these children is even more in danger of acquiring illnesses such as asthma. Asthma is said to be the most common chronic illness in children (Hansen, 2002). And because studies show that a large number of US homes do not prohibit smoking inside the house, there is a great possibility that the children acquire or inhale some of the secondhand smoke from cigarette and tobacco.

Legal system and method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal system and method - Essay Example Subsequently, Laroche made a claim in the High Court of England and Wales, for personal injury against the defendant, which was dismissed. Laroche appealed against this decision in the England and Wales Court of Appeal. The High Court had held that his claim had been extinguished, on the basis of Schedule 1, Article 29 of the Carriage by Air Acts (Application of Provisions) Order 1967. Thereafter, the Spirit of Adventure underwent voluntary liquidation, but it was appropriately restored, so that Laroche could claim damages for the injury caused to him. In England, all claims are subjected to the application of the Non – International Rules and they also fall within the scope of the Warsaw Convention on International Carriage by Air 1929. Thus, the concept of exclusivity of claims is governed by the Carriage by Air Act of 1961. In this case, the claim was made under article 29 of Schedule I. Under this article, the parties have to make a claim within a period of two years. Thus, the claim in this case was not valid, since two years had already transpired. The claimant could not invoke his right to action. Section 651 of the Companies Act 1985 sets aside such limitation. Nevertheless, article 29 could not be excluded in order to invoke the doctrines of estoppel or waiver under English law1. It was held by the court that Laroche’s claim was governed by Schedule 1 of the 1967 Order. This Order provides an exclusive cause of action; and Laroche could invoke this schedule to his claims. However, he had failed to make a claim within two years. Thus, he was precluded from invoking Schedule 1 article 292. This is a landmark case in the area of accidents, during carriage by air or sea. It served to establish that the provisions of International Conventions will be applied to claims in such accidents. The provisions apply to claims in domestic or international accidents. The conventions provide remedies to the claims for damages, and are

Book Publishing Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book Publishing Industry - Assignment Example Their role is especially threatened with the availability of self-publishing options for the authors, an aspect that puts them out of the picture, with an added value of cheaper services for the authors (Bradley & Bartlett, 2012). Nevertheless, those publishers who will be willing to embrace the online trend and establish online services for the publishing of works, they are likely to survive. Such a trend is already evident with various publishers embracing online platforms through which they provide online versions of their publications to meet the online demand. The agents’ position and role are also threatened with the changes towards increased online services as the author have a choice of being in direct contact with the online platforms (Bradley & Bartlett, 2012). For them, they are likely to be intermediate, this time advocating the traditional publishing as it is only through this type of publishing that they role holds significance. An increase in the online demand f or reading material has a definitive impact on the print media. This means that with the increase in information technology, the printers are bound to be disintermediated from the book publishing industry as their role will be consumed by online publishing and accessibility of the books. On the other hand, the distributors are likely to be cyber-mediated through the development of online distribution platforms in the form of e-Libraries that would enhance the accessibility of eBooks (Bradley & Bartlett, 2012).

Analysis of Sale of Human Organs Arguments Research Paper

Analysis of Sale of Human Organs Arguments - Research Paper Example David’s point of people donating organs for money is very persuasive as he talks about compensation for any organ donated. it makes more sense when he claims that organs from deceased people donated and the person’s family could be beneficial. For both the deceased’s family and the needy person of the organ can benefit in the process. For instance, if the family needs some money for bills in the hospital or burial, they can decide to exchange some organs of the deceased for money, which can serve best for all. This type of exchange for vital organs can motivate people to donate one of their organs in their life to save some life or get money to perform other work, which could be urgent (David, 2005). The beneficial should not only be the recipient of the organs but both parties involved. This point is very much persuasive as people can be willing to give out their organs for compensation. This effect can work, as it is evident that donors of these organs live wel l without any disorder or reduction of functionalities in their bodies. An instance when such decisions can serve a good purpose is when money for urgent medication is needed and no available source, someone can donate an organ and serve the pain but make both people survive. In his argument, a person has a right over their bodies and not controlled by either the government or any other body. If an organ transplant sale authorized, people can give out willingly due to the offered compensation. An example of the unpersuasive point is that, if the organs are for sale, some desperate people will not benefit if they cannot afford to buy the organ. As David claims people will tend to kill others for their own benefit. The argument of an objection to selling an organ cannot lead to the destruction of people live or due to the failure of getting the right price for a certain organ. In his exploration, the question which asks for one to assume they needed an organ and in the process finds s omeone willing to sell, it is realistic that, if you need something vital for your life that you have no option left.