Witch Hysteria Dbq Analysis
The beliefs of the puritans could have also been one of the reasons for the witch hysteria. Cotton Mather's was a highly respected figure in the village, so anything he said was taken very seriously. Document A shows a paragraph of his writing. In this writing he says that witches are everywhere including the homes of Christians. This of course induces fear in the village. Puritans strongly believed in God and Satan. This blinded them and prevented them from thinking logically. Their beliefs caused them to lie even if they were not aware of it. Signs such as a man being able to stick his finger in his riffle fully extended or having a blemish were things people could not control. Other signs like botching the Lord’s prayer are just common mistakes