Woman's Autonomy Through History
Throughout history to the present, a long debated topic has been ever pressing, women’s autonomy. In 1692, the Salem witch trials started killing women accused of witchcraft. In 1973, Roe v. Wade made abortion a constitutional right, then in 2022 it was overturned. While the Salem Witch Trials didn’t just accuse women, the majority of accused witches were female. The right to have independence, over their minds and bodies has been a long and continuing fight for women, who will continue to fight this war.
Spring of 1692 three girls started having fits. They were taken to the town doctor, who said they had been bewitched. Some say these fits consisted of screaming, dancing in the woods, and barking (History). Others say in these fits, these girls would violently contort and scream (Editors). Word spread quickly and people all over Salem started having fits; not one woman was safe from being accused of being a witch. According to the article, Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims “As hysteria spread through the community and beyond into the rest of Massachusetts, a number of others were accused, including Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse—both regarded as upstanding members of church and community—and the four-year-old daughter of Sarah Good.” (Editors). After going on trial, only the women who pleaded guilty and confessed to being a witch were kept alive (History). These trials were a cruel and illogical treatment of the victims, who were mostly women. One man even questioned the trials and wrote about it. Many believed that the devil could only possess those who were willing to be possessed, and that the devil could not act good. However, this man brings up a scenario which questions these beliefs. He did so by saying “But in as much as there is not one word to testify against that Abomination, we may include that it was not the real Samuel that appeared to Saul: and if it were the Devil in his likeness, the Argument seems very strong, that if the Devil may appear in the form of a Saint of Glory much more is it possible for him to put on the likeness of the most Pious and Innocent Saint of Earth” (Center). Just as this man questioned the trials, many others now question the reasoning behind the Salem witch trials.
The reasons behind the Salem witch trials are heavily debated, they range from fungi to social injustices, and fear. One of the earlier theories is ergotism, which comes from a fungus called ergot. It was found in rye, wheat, and cereal. It was known to cause violent contortions, hallucinations, and more. Another theory says the girls were having fits because they wanted attention and were just acting out. An article called Witchcraft in Salem says “The motives of the young girls themselves can be questioned. In a society where women had no power, particularly young women, is it not understandable how adolescent girls, drunk with unforeseen attention, allowed their imaginations to run wild.” One of the other arguments is that the hysteria from the current smallpox epidemic, and the moving of many natives to the area caused people to overreact. Women having power over themselves hasn’t just been present in the past with the Salem Witch Trials. In which they were, getting executed unless they told the judges (who were men) they were right, and being kept in cold, wet, and small cells until they could be questioned. It has also been ever present with the Roe v. Wade case.
The court case Roe v. Wade debated whether the ability to have access to an abortion was a constitutional right or not. The original case in 1973 decided that access to abortion is a constitutional right which everyone should have. However in June 2022 it got overturned, allowing for states to vote on whether people had the right to an abortion. Many states had trigger laws set in place for when this case got overturned. In several states it quickly became a felony to give or get an abortion. This again restricts the autonomy of women and places women in a place with little power over themselves. Many argue on the side of Clay Higgins, a U.S. representative and congressman, that, “ ‘Democrats want the ability to murder an unborn child at any time for any reason up until the moment of birth. It is pure evil. Some of us are fighting back against this madness and working to defeat this abomination of a bill. Our fight to protect the unborn and the right to life shall continue. We will not stop.’ “ (Higgins). They argue that getting an abortion is murder, and it is malicious. However, not everyone feels this way, many feel as though access to an abortion is a right and should not be taken away.
Access to an abortion has long been argued and those for it have several reasons such as, trauma, genetics, and systems within the U.S. Two big things said by people who are against abortion are to put the kid in the foster care system if it’s not wanted, and that those who are for abortions don’t respect life. Little Dove, a woman on middle ground, brings up her arguments against both of these statements by saying “ ‘I respect life very much. Unfortunately, I've also seen a lot of negative aspects of our systems in the U.S. like the foster care system. It's out of that respect that I believe people should have the right to choose an abortion’ “ (Middle 19:05-19:25). She explains that if someone does not want to have a baby, they shouldn’t be forced to carry it to term. If they are forced, they would put the baby in the foster care system. However, the foster care system is awful. Going into the foster care system raises suicide rates to 95%, which would be murder in its own way (Katz). Another point that gets brought up is that some women's bodies are not physically able to carry a baby to term. If they are forced to, then it will kill them and that contradicts what people against abortions are saying. One last big detail is rape and incest survivors. If someone is raped by a family member, and they get pregnant, they might not want to keep the baby and if they do it can cause many problems for the baby and the mother. Overall, both sides have strong arguments, which is unlike the Salem Witch Trials.
While they both restricted a woman's autonomy, the Salem witch trials and Roe v. Wade court case have some strong differences and several similarities. Both had people arguing with each other, had women taking the biggest hit, recently had an update and caused women to fall in their societal standing. The people who were accused of being witches (and those on their side) were arguing with those who thought they were witches. Women who wanted access to abortions were arguing with those who believed it was wrong. In the Salem witch trials three fourths of the victims were women, and in the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, women lost a fundamental right (Museum). Elizabeth Johnson Jr., a woman executed for being a witch was the final victim to be exonerated, everyone else except her had been pardoned, for an unknown reason she was left out and finally liberated in July of 2022 and just before that in June of 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned(Magazine). During the Salem witch trials everyone was accusing everyone, but women were being accused the most causing them to go from being slightly watched to having their every move watched and being untrusted. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the only people who lost a right were women. While they might seem similar, there are also several differences between the two, such as, one happened mainly in the past and the other happened closer to the present, one had to do with the supernatural and the other did not, and they have different religions being a strong backing between them. The Salem witch trials began in 1692, and the original Roe v. Wade case happened in 1973. The Salem witch trials accused people of being a supernatural being (witches) and Roe v. Wade has nothing to do with that. Finally, the strong religion in the Salem witch trials was the Puritans and in Roe v. Wade the strongest religion backing came from modern day christians. All in all, Roe v. Wade and the Salem witch trials restricted a woman's autonomy.
The witch trials targeted, accused, and killed women on the basis that the Devil had possessed them. The only women to actually be executed in these trials were the ones who pleaded innocent. Roe v. Wade made it so current and upcoming generations had less rights than their grandmothers (Totenberg). They took away a fundamental right for women and made it a felony to give or get an abortion. Neither was good, both had to do with religion and arguing between two sides. With Roe v. Wade being overturned last year, women all over must wonder how long they will have to continue their fight to be fully autonomous.
Works Cited
Center, Danvers Archival. “Witchcraft.” Archives, 8 Jan. 2019, www.danverslibrary.org/archive/a-further-account/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.
Editors, History.com. “Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Sept. 2023, www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
Higgins, Clay. “Pro-Life.” Congressman Clay Higgins, 23 May 2022, clayhiggins.house.gov/issues/pro-life. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.
History, U.S. “Witchcraft in Salem by USHistory.Org.” CommonLit, 2016, www.commonlit.org/en/texts/witchcraft-in-salem#:~:text=In%20Puritan%20society%2C%20dancing%20of,began%20to%20spread%20across%20Salem. Accessed 29 Oct. 2023.
Jubilee, Middle Ground, director. Is Abortion Murder? | Middle Ground. YouTube, YouTube, 28 Nov. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrQYHeodRio. Accessed 29 Oct. 2023.
Katz, Laurence Y, et al. “Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Children and Adolescents in the Child Welfare System.” CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal de l’Association Medicale Canadienne, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 22 Nov. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3225419/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2023.
Museum, Peabody Essex. “The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 - Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA.” Pem.Org, 2017, www.pem.org/salem-witch-trials. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023.
Totenberg, Nina, and Sarah McCammon. “Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Ending Right to Abortion Upheld for Decades.” NPR, 24 June 2022, www.npr.org/2022/06/24/1102305878/supreme-court-abortion-roe-v-wade-decision-overturn. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.
Spring of 1692 three girls started having fits. They were taken to the town doctor, who said they had been bewitched. Some say these fits consisted of screaming, dancing in the woods, and barking (History). Others say in these fits, these girls would violently contort and scream (Editors). Word spread quickly and people all over Salem started having fits; not one woman was safe from being accused of being a witch. According to the article, Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims “As hysteria spread through the community and beyond into the rest of Massachusetts, a number of others were accused, including Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse—both regarded as upstanding members of church and community—and the four-year-old daughter of Sarah Good.” (Editors). After going on trial, only the women who pleaded guilty and confessed to being a witch were kept alive (History). These trials were a cruel and illogical treatment of the victims, who were mostly women. One man even questioned the trials and wrote about it. Many believed that the devil could only possess those who were willing to be possessed, and that the devil could not act good. However, this man brings up a scenario which questions these beliefs. He did so by saying “But in as much as there is not one word to testify against that Abomination, we may include that it was not the real Samuel that appeared to Saul: and if it were the Devil in his likeness, the Argument seems very strong, that if the Devil may appear in the form of a Saint of Glory much more is it possible for him to put on the likeness of the most Pious and Innocent Saint of Earth” (Center). Just as this man questioned the trials, many others now question the reasoning behind the Salem witch trials.
The reasons behind the Salem witch trials are heavily debated, they range from fungi to social injustices, and fear. One of the earlier theories is ergotism, which comes from a fungus called ergot. It was found in rye, wheat, and cereal. It was known to cause violent contortions, hallucinations, and more. Another theory says the girls were having fits because they wanted attention and were just acting out. An article called Witchcraft in Salem says “The motives of the young girls themselves can be questioned. In a society where women had no power, particularly young women, is it not understandable how adolescent girls, drunk with unforeseen attention, allowed their imaginations to run wild.” One of the other arguments is that the hysteria from the current smallpox epidemic, and the moving of many natives to the area caused people to overreact. Women having power over themselves hasn’t just been present in the past with the Salem Witch Trials. In which they were, getting executed unless they told the judges (who were men) they were right, and being kept in cold, wet, and small cells until they could be questioned. It has also been ever present with the Roe v. Wade case.
The court case Roe v. Wade debated whether the ability to have access to an abortion was a constitutional right or not. The original case in 1973 decided that access to abortion is a constitutional right which everyone should have. However in June 2022 it got overturned, allowing for states to vote on whether people had the right to an abortion. Many states had trigger laws set in place for when this case got overturned. In several states it quickly became a felony to give or get an abortion. This again restricts the autonomy of women and places women in a place with little power over themselves. Many argue on the side of Clay Higgins, a U.S. representative and congressman, that, “ ‘Democrats want the ability to murder an unborn child at any time for any reason up until the moment of birth. It is pure evil. Some of us are fighting back against this madness and working to defeat this abomination of a bill. Our fight to protect the unborn and the right to life shall continue. We will not stop.’ “ (Higgins). They argue that getting an abortion is murder, and it is malicious. However, not everyone feels this way, many feel as though access to an abortion is a right and should not be taken away.
Access to an abortion has long been argued and those for it have several reasons such as, trauma, genetics, and systems within the U.S. Two big things said by people who are against abortion are to put the kid in the foster care system if it’s not wanted, and that those who are for abortions don’t respect life. Little Dove, a woman on middle ground, brings up her arguments against both of these statements by saying “ ‘I respect life very much. Unfortunately, I've also seen a lot of negative aspects of our systems in the U.S. like the foster care system. It's out of that respect that I believe people should have the right to choose an abortion’ “ (Middle 19:05-19:25). She explains that if someone does not want to have a baby, they shouldn’t be forced to carry it to term. If they are forced, they would put the baby in the foster care system. However, the foster care system is awful. Going into the foster care system raises suicide rates to 95%, which would be murder in its own way (Katz). Another point that gets brought up is that some women's bodies are not physically able to carry a baby to term. If they are forced to, then it will kill them and that contradicts what people against abortions are saying. One last big detail is rape and incest survivors. If someone is raped by a family member, and they get pregnant, they might not want to keep the baby and if they do it can cause many problems for the baby and the mother. Overall, both sides have strong arguments, which is unlike the Salem Witch Trials.
While they both restricted a woman's autonomy, the Salem witch trials and Roe v. Wade court case have some strong differences and several similarities. Both had people arguing with each other, had women taking the biggest hit, recently had an update and caused women to fall in their societal standing. The people who were accused of being witches (and those on their side) were arguing with those who thought they were witches. Women who wanted access to abortions were arguing with those who believed it was wrong. In the Salem witch trials three fourths of the victims were women, and in the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, women lost a fundamental right (Museum). Elizabeth Johnson Jr., a woman executed for being a witch was the final victim to be exonerated, everyone else except her had been pardoned, for an unknown reason she was left out and finally liberated in July of 2022 and just before that in June of 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned(Magazine). During the Salem witch trials everyone was accusing everyone, but women were being accused the most causing them to go from being slightly watched to having their every move watched and being untrusted. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the only people who lost a right were women. While they might seem similar, there are also several differences between the two, such as, one happened mainly in the past and the other happened closer to the present, one had to do with the supernatural and the other did not, and they have different religions being a strong backing between them. The Salem witch trials began in 1692, and the original Roe v. Wade case happened in 1973. The Salem witch trials accused people of being a supernatural being (witches) and Roe v. Wade has nothing to do with that. Finally, the strong religion in the Salem witch trials was the Puritans and in Roe v. Wade the strongest religion backing came from modern day christians. All in all, Roe v. Wade and the Salem witch trials restricted a woman's autonomy.
The witch trials targeted, accused, and killed women on the basis that the Devil had possessed them. The only women to actually be executed in these trials were the ones who pleaded innocent. Roe v. Wade made it so current and upcoming generations had less rights than their grandmothers (Totenberg). They took away a fundamental right for women and made it a felony to give or get an abortion. Neither was good, both had to do with religion and arguing between two sides. With Roe v. Wade being overturned last year, women all over must wonder how long they will have to continue their fight to be fully autonomous.
Works Cited
Center, Danvers Archival. “Witchcraft.” Archives, 8 Jan. 2019, www.danverslibrary.org/archive/a-further-account/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.
Editors, History.com. “Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Sept. 2023, www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials. Accessed 23 Oct. 2023.
Higgins, Clay. “Pro-Life.” Congressman Clay Higgins, 23 May 2022, clayhiggins.house.gov/issues/pro-life. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.
History, U.S. “Witchcraft in Salem by USHistory.Org.” CommonLit, 2016, www.commonlit.org/en/texts/witchcraft-in-salem#:~:text=In%20Puritan%20society%2C%20dancing%20of,began%20to%20spread%20across%20Salem. Accessed 29 Oct. 2023.
Jubilee, Middle Ground, director. Is Abortion Murder? | Middle Ground. YouTube, YouTube, 28 Nov. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrQYHeodRio. Accessed 29 Oct. 2023.
Katz, Laurence Y, et al. “Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Children and Adolescents in the Child Welfare System.” CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal de l’Association Medicale Canadienne, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 22 Nov. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3225419/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2023.
Museum, Peabody Essex. “The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 - Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA.” Pem.Org, 2017, www.pem.org/salem-witch-trials. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023.
Totenberg, Nina, and Sarah McCammon. “Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Ending Right to Abortion Upheld for Decades.” NPR, 24 June 2022, www.npr.org/2022/06/24/1102305878/supreme-court-abortion-roe-v-wade-decision-overturn. Accessed 26 Oct. 2023.