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Jealousy: The Salem Witch Trials Of 1692

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Jealousy has been around for centuries. Jealousy is a hideous thing that can cause people to do things that some of us would never imagine doing today. Or maybe some of us would, but only to an extent. One of the most known events more than likely known by this was the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The Salem Witch Trials were caused by many other things as well. However, the main causes of the trials were town division, lying girls, and jealousy. As above, the first reason for the Salem Witch Trials was town division. “The people in the western half of Salem Village farmed poorer land and lost political power” (Document E). What this means is that ultimately the poor were accusing the rich of witchcraft because they felt threatened and wanted to hold more power than they did. Most think that it was because the women of the town wanted to get to the men for the money, but the accusations were not only made by women. In Document B it is shown that approximately 20% were male, but the majority were still female. So what did the men want? Land? Or perhaps the wives? Since nobody alive was actually a witness, all there is, is historical information that is hoped to be accurate. …show more content…
Whether it be big or small depends on who they are as a person, but everyone does it and because it's so normal we don't consider it very “morally wrong”. Except, when it comes down to life or death. The second cause of the Salem Witch Trials were easily described as lying little girls. Some people might wonder what would cause the girls to do such a thing. The answer is easy: attention. For some unknown reason, these girls were almost always believed, mostly because everyone was clinging to the madness. “Once or twice they were caught in their own snare; and nothing but the blindness of the bewildered community saved them from… well deserved punishment… There can be doubt that they were great actors” (Charles W

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