Historical Perspectives

Through this case study of the Salem Witch Trials, I have learned from a historical perspective that we must take into account the extensive differences between the present-day and the past. It was hard for me to fully understand why anyone would suspect so-called witches to be the root of sickness and mortality in a village. But those times were much different from the way the world is now, intellectually and culturally. It is difficult to put myself in the shoes of someone in that time period with the intellect and knowledge I have from being alive today. But I would suppose if I was present in the 1600s during the Salem Witch Trials, I would likely share the same ideologies.

I do feel like we should push our own beliefs and perspectives aside when it comes to studying history. These can get in the way of our learning, just as the ego experiment presented. I know this is true for me. It’s important to set ego and beliefs aside because it can open your mind to new perspectives. In reading the essays provided in this case study, several of them were written from different perspectives on the Salem Witch Trials. If someone were to read just one of those, their perspective would mostly pertain to the information given in that essay. If they read multiple essays they would be able to see the event from multiple perspectives and piece the information together.