The Correlation Between Gender Roles and the Salem Witch Trials

Throughout history, gender roles have continually been debated on, and as time went on, the gap between stereotypical male and female gender roles has lessened. Although before this progression to equality, there was the injustice of inequality that women were faced with. Gender roles are socially constructed labels of behavior, to almost serve as a guideline on how to conduct oneself. The gender roles of the late 17th century in patriarchal Massachusetts were the law, therefore if someone, especially a woman, ‘acted out’ she would get into trouble or be exiled. An example of harsh gender roles would be the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. During these trials, women who were accused of being satan-possessed witches were tried, persecuted, imprisoned, and even executed.

The cause of these trials began with the implications of witchcraft. Typically, the women who were accused tended to be either middle aged widows, or wealthy. The irony of it all was that it was women who accused other women of being witches. This is believed to be due to the married women coveting the widows whom were able to own property and have jobs. This was unfortunate for the accused, because typically being widows, they had nobody to defend them, which made them easy targets in court. Those who were accused were also those who challenged gender roles with their independence, which was feared during that time. Female independence challenged Puritan society, therefore they fought back instead of trying to accept progression. There was such a hysteria occurring over the abundance of trials that Massachusetts Governor William Phelps appointed a Court of Oyer and Terminer specifically for these trials. The court was brutal; many women were found guilty and hanged. One famous court case was the trial of Martha Corey, who was accused after her husband Giles stated that her reading of strange books prevented him from praying. Martha Corey ended up being convicted of witchcraft, and