How could a society confide in the testimony of young children with no evidence supporting their accusations, such as that as the case with Sarah Good, one of the first of three to be convicted in the Salem hysteria? For anyone to understand this, we must examine the foundation of where this hysteria started. That starting point being the society in which these witch trials took place. With Salem, Puritanism dominated. In the eyes of the Puritans, who sought to purify the English church, believed they must eradicate those who threatened their beliefs, including witches or those such as Anne Hutchinson. Not only that, but the power of superstition plagued the Puritan movement with hearsay and literature that sailed throughout the new world exhibiting stories of witchcraft within other parts of the colonies and England. …
