Question

Why did Salem settlement need a theocracy.

Answer 1

The Salem settlement needed a theocracy because of the strong religious beliefs of the Puritans. They believed a theocratic government would ensure the purity of their community and protect it from sin and evil influences. The establishment of a theocracy also allowed for the prosecution of suspected witches during the Salem Witch Trials.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Salem settlement needed a theocracy due to the strong religious beliefs of the Puritans who settled there. The Puritans believed in strict adherence to their interpretation of Christianity and saw themselves as a chosen people with a special mission from God. They believed that establishing a theocracy, a government based on religious principles, would ensure the purity of their community and protect it from sin and evil influences.

One of the core reasons for the establishment of the Salem settlement was the desire to establish a society based on Puritan religious ideology, which required a theocratic government to enforce religious laws and maintain moral order. The Puritans believed that the devil was actively trying to corrupt their community, and they saw witchcraft as a manifestation of this corruption.

The Salem Witch Trials in 1692 were a result of this belief. The trials were carried out by Puritan leaders who sought to identify and punish those they believed were practicing witchcraft. A theocratic government allowed the Puritan leaders to exercise control over the community and carry out the trials and executions.

Answer 2

The author's notes say that the Puritans chose a theocracy to maintain unity in their settlement. The rules of the settlement were extremely strict which in some senses they needed for survival, but after living under such strict law for so long, people began to crave freedoms that were denied to them by the theocracy.