Sample Outline

I. Introduction

A. (AG): Imagine the horror of being wrongfully accused for something you were entirely

innocent of. For more than 200 victims, this became reality in the small village of Salem, Massachusetts during the late 1600s.

B. (Thesis): The Salem Witch Trials marked one of the darkest periods of our nation’s early history.

C. (Subtopics)

  1. There were many factors that contributed to the trials, including growing tension within the community
  2. Even the very lifestyle of the Puritans living within the community helped drive the fear and paranoia
  3. Wild accusations made by three young girls led to the chaos (why)
  4. Innocent civilians were wrongly accused for often time’s absurd reasons, such as gossiping too much or having one too many sexual encounters. (how)
  5. The trials were a farce, which would be laughable, at best, by today’s standards
  6. Two of the accused included Rebecca Nurse and Giles Corey. (case)
  7. Despite the yearlong atrocity, the trials eventually came to an abrupt halt, though the trials had lasting implications. (end)

D. (Concluding Sentence): The trials were a brutal, largely unethical hunt that resulted in the loss of many innocent lives.

II. Body 1 (Cause/ why)

A. There wasn’t a single, defining reason why the madness began; rather, there

were many factors, which all blended together to create the perfect storm.

B. Witch hysteria in Europe

C. Smallpox and “Indian Wars” were seen as hardships attributed to an active presence of the devil

D. Divide within the community over the direction of the church and morality

E. Tension over land disputes

F. The underlying causes likely extend far beyond this, including the hard lined beliefs and

lifestyle of the Puritans

III. Body 2 (Puritan belief/ life)

A. (TS) The Puritans were a highly religious, hardworking, group of individuals, who had rigorous expectations of its citizenry.

B. came here seeking religious freedom

C. set up a community governed as a theocracy

D. believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible

E. consumed by fear of the devil (which was a driving force in the witch hunt hysteria) and salvation (which meant that they believed this was their duty)

F. (CS) The combination of these underlying factors present within the community and the value system of the Puritans created a ripe environment for the first accusations.

IV. Body 3 (Start)

A. (TS) In the winter of 1692 the fear of witches quickly spread throughout the community after a group of young girls started to exhibit strange symptoms.

B. The group of girls included the town Reverend’s daughter and niece, along with several others

C. Dr. was called in and was unable to diagnose the symptoms, and concluded that the cause of

the odd behavior must be attributed to witchcraft.

D. Under pressure, the girls soon confessed that they had been partaking in unusual ceremonies with the slave, Tituba, who worked with the Parris family

E. Tituba soon confessed, in the face of violence and the threat of death, and she implicated two additional women: Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne

F. (CS) After the initial accusations were made, the hysteria quickly spiraled out of control, and before it was over more than 20 individuals were dead, while the lives of more than 200 others were changed forever.