The Bias Towards Women during the Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and 1693 as a very dark event for early America. The Salem Witch Trials were trials of people accused of witchcraft. The citizens of Salem caused the deaths of twenty people, most of them women. The research being abundant, I could gather many opinions expressed about the Salem Witch Trials. Particularly, the author’s opinions showed the trials and prosecutions were biased against women because women were not treated equal to men, “Puritan ministers convinced the congregations that women were going to hell they had committed no sin” (Kizer), and stereotypes ran Salem’s community.
Women are not as free as Men.
In the first place, women were not as free as men for many centuries. In fact, even today, in many cultures women are lower than men. “For example, in some Middle Eastern countries, women are forced to never show their hair or faces in public” (Rose). During the years of 1692 and 1693, society treated most women badly compared to men and likewise, men usually treated women as servants in this time period.
In literature, many authors expressed their opinion on this idea. Most authors state that at the time, “women were lower than men in the social hierarchy” (Karlsen). For example, “According to this opinion, that women were evil, whorish, deceitful, extravagant, angry, vengeful, and of course, insubordinate and proud” (Karlsen 69) demonstrates how women were thought of during the time of the trials and prosecutions. Men were thought to be the better, more intelligent sex and to be servers of God, which is quite the opposite of women.
Another example in literature of women being treated not equal to men during the Witch Trials, would be,
“Other writers argued that women were equal if not superiors to men, called for recognition of the abuse women suffered under men’s tyranny, and intimidated that society would be better served if economic power resided in women’s hands- but their voices were few and barely heard. More
Women are not as free as Men.
In the first place, women were not as free as men for many centuries. In fact, even today, in many cultures women are lower than men. “For example, in some Middle Eastern countries, women are forced to never show their hair or faces in public” (Rose). During the years of 1692 and 1693, society treated most women badly compared to men and likewise, men usually treated women as servants in this time period.
In literature, many authors expressed their opinion on this idea. Most authors state that at the time, “women were lower than men in the social hierarchy” (Karlsen). For example, “According to this opinion, that women were evil, whorish, deceitful, extravagant, angry, vengeful, and of course, insubordinate and proud” (Karlsen 69) demonstrates how women were thought of during the time of the trials and prosecutions. Men were thought to be the better, more intelligent sex and to be servers of God, which is quite the opposite of women.
Another example in literature of women being treated not equal to men during the Witch Trials, would be,
“Other writers argued that women were equal if not superiors to men, called for recognition of the abuse women suffered under men’s tyranny, and intimidated that society would be better served if economic power resided in women’s hands- but their voices were few and barely heard. More