Book: The Psychology Of The Salem Witchcraft Excitement Of 1692 by George Miller Beard
The psychology underlying the Salem witch trials in New England during the late 1600s stems from various Puritan and religious beliefs. Men like Cotton Mather and other clergy of New England believed that the spiritual and earthly realms intermingled. As such, many believed that Satan sent his minions in the form of witches and other entities to work his wiles on unsuspecting colonists. Coupled with this belief, Puritan leaders also felt they had the ability to determine the spiritual and earthly realms. This led such leaders to justify and vindicate the persecution of those suspected as witches, more often than not based solely on hearsay. As Becker (1915) maintains, this justification arose from a "vain and pathetic effort of single-minded men to identify the temporal and spiritual commonwealths". This psychology or worldview led to the persecution and death of many condemned as witches, even though little evidence existed proving such.Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):
Martin Van Buren Perley - A Short History Of The Salem Village Witchcraft Trials Ocr VersionPaul Boyer - The Salem Witchcraft Papers Vol 2
George Miller Beard - The Psychology Of The Salem Witchcraft Excitement Of 1692
