How the salem witch trials caused the separation of church

The Salem Witch Trials demonstrated the importance of the separation of church and state because many innocent people were unfairly executed during the trials because of religious beliefs and the strong desire to punish people who did not live the life of following God. Once the Church and State had been separated, it was clear to see the massive difference. People now have religious freedom and people who had different religious beliefs were no longer punished and executed.
 

The separation of church and state in America was established on January 1st, 1802. People were forced to live a life of strict devotion since it was believed it would keep them away from breaking any religious laws. In that harsh community, changing religions or deviation from the accepted Protestant society was not accepted. The people of the Salem Village only saw two sides: good and evil. Any sort of individualism would cause suspicion and accusations of witchcraft.

Very often the accused witches had no possibility of defending themselves to the accusations. In 1692, it is proven that defendants only won four out of fourteen cases filed. 

For everlasting centuries, identifying the similarities between the accused have been attempted by scholars. It has been recognised that the unconventional individuals who did not fit in with their Puritan neighbours, were usually the ones to be charged with witchcraft. 

Once the mass hysteria had ended, Massachusetts understood the true meaning of The Witch Trials and started a long period of atonement. This was significant because it led many juries, judges, and accusers to apologise to the public, as several families were still affected by the horrid effects the trials had on them.

Finally, in 1711, the accused witches were exonerated from any wrongdoing and monetary compensations awarded to any family members who were still alive. In 2002, the state legislature of Massachusetts officially cleared the names of the last witches who had been accused.  

According to David Morrison, if the separation of church and state in Salem, Massachusetts was applied at the time of the Salem Trials, there could have been one possible difference. This change would have been that it would allow the prosecution of all the alleged crimes to continue a more organised basis. However, even if things were taken into a more orderly manner, the hysteria and false accusations still would’ve remained, and 24 lives would still be destroyed. 

During the Salem Trials, quite a number of leaders imposed religious concepts into law. For example, the government had brought in Puritan related beliefs and verses to defend or attack the accused and policies. What was most concerning, however, is why any religious text was considered in making judgements in court. 

The puritans believed the government had the responsibility of maintaining the laws of God to preserve virtuous living. The puritanical officials also punished anyone who failed to listen to God’s laws. If a crime was committed in society, it would be a sin in the church. Moreover, the Salem Witch Trials was just the horrid result of a Theocracy, where officials were guided by God. Puritans followed the government blindly and agreed with many terrifying executions. Therefore, showing the significance and stressing the need for the separation of church and state.