Women were harshly treated and seen as inferior to their male counterparts. Married women had fewer rights than unmarried women. For example, Widowed and unmarried women were able to create wills, buy/sell property, and receive a deceased husband's property while married women typically were stripped of all their possessions. Because of the little rights, the witch trials eventually led to a newfound power that some women utilized against others. Young girls started pointing fingers in attempts to gain followers, worshippers and trust. This power was used to hopefully raise social class standards, and in a Puritan society that firmly believed in the devil, it led to many deaths due to widespread hysteria. Growing distrust, especially towards poor, older and/or married women led to an unstable balance of power.
Sarah Good
When young girls were exclaiming they were doing actions they had no control over or falling ill, they insisted it was the work of the devil and witches. Sarah Good was one of the first people that had been arrested for witchcraft. She was living in poverty, widowed, and then remarried, she easily fitted the circumstances of a typical witch. Alongside this, she had also been speaking up for herself during court. The stereotypic subservient aura of a woman at that time had been defied by her, with many viewing her behavior as unsuitable and inappropriate. This response reinforced the idea she was "evil" and an enemy, inevitably sentencing her to be hanged.
Rebecca Nurse
Rebecca Nurse was another woman accused of witchcraft. Given she was sickly and elderly, many appeared before her examination, declaring Rebecca the cause of their troubles. The main accusations were from Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam. The girls accusing Rebecca mimicked movements as if being possessed, implying they were being in pain and controlled by her. Despite all the chaos, Rebecca disputed the accusations. Her refusal ultimately led to her execution and this case is an example of injustice some women faced during this time.
"The sheriff brought the witch up the broad aisle, her chains clanking as she stepped."
