In her opinion, the girls were "under an evil hand" (Godbeer 2). Thus, the citation of local Salem village physician William Griggs in January 1692 to launch what became known as the Salem Witch Hunt and Trials. In the late 17th century, the small village of Salem, Massachusetts was predominantly Puritan and governed by Puritan laws. The Puritans were educated, middle-class people who were able to pay for the trip across the Atlantic for themselves and their families. The Puritans were primarily artisans and middle farmers by trade and, following the reformation of the Church of England, left for the colonies. to better devote themselves to God because they viewed the Church of England as a corrupt institution where salvation could be bought and sold, and without any success in further reforming the Church, they left for the colonies. English Puritans believed in an all-powerful God who, at the moment of creation, determined which humans would be saved and which would be damned (Goldfield 45). Colonial Puritans established community and family hierarchical orders to govern themselves. At the top of the power structure was the village pastor who oversaw all grievances and conflicts in the community, whether spiritual or worldly in nature. In the family structure, power rested with the father or eldest child in the house. David Goldfield said that New England Puritan women were held in high esteem and given great responsibilities, even though they were seen as legally and economically dependent on the men of the family. The economic contribution of women was indeed essential to the success of the family. In addition to caring for children, cooking, sewing, gardening, and cleaning, most women took care of household chores... middle of paper ... activities of daily living transformed into something more. From the belief that women were more susceptible to evil intimidation and having a weaker constitution since Eve was tempted by the Devil, to the existence of a non-existent legal system to settle disputes between neighbors or simply to the fact that there were people who saw an opportunity to acquire personal wealth, the Salem witch hunt and trials were more than just a religious cleansing of the community by pious people. They were a microcosm of what could happen when people do not understand the relationships between themselves, their neighbors, and the natural causes and effects of the world around them. Works Cited Godbeer, Richard. The Salem Witch Hunt A Brief History with Documents. Boston, NY: Bedford/St. Martins 2011 Goldfield, David. The American Journey A History of the United States. New Jersey: Pearson 2011