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The Salem Witch Trials are the some of the most famous events in early colonial American history. It was the moment that practically solidified the fact that any attempts at “religious renewal” in America, or whatever the Puritans called it, we're both literally and metaphorically dead. We already discussed how most of the British American colonies were founded on financial progress, not religious reasons. But the Puritans definitely wanted their new lands to be completely founded on their faith. And it eventually ripped them apart.

Life for the Puritans sucked, like hard. Putting aside the fact that their religious beliefs denied them the right to dance, play, and really just have fun at all, their society and environment constantly battered at them. The Natives, understandably sick of being kicked off their lands, we're constantly attacking. The cold Massachusetts winters constantly made crops a pain to grow. Pretty much everything was out to get them. And being the religious fanatics they were, they blamed it all on the devil. So they were constantly looking over their shoulders, not for physical threats as they probably should have, but for demons.

By 1692, the local reverend was a man named Samuel Parris, who unbeknownst to the colonists was a member of the Templar Order. Parris had been sent to Salem with his family, including his niece Abigail Williams, because he was looking for something very, very valuable. A Piece of Eden.

The past few months had seen odd goings on in Salem. The local girls, including young Abigail, had been plagued with some odd disease that caused them seizures and hallucinations. The locals considered this the devil's work, and their fears were seemingly confirmed when the girls openly said it was. However, they mostly did this because it gave them the opportunity to point fingers at their local enemies and dub them witches or demons. The first to be hanged on charge of witchcraft was Bridget Bishop, and several innocent lives were soon to follow.

Parris theorized that amongst these “possessed” girls, at least one of them had to be legitimately affected by a Piece of Eden, and he used the insanity of the Witch Trials to cover up his investigation. But his enemies had also caught onto the trail. The Assassins sent their agent, Thomas Stoddard, to Salem to meet with another Assassin, Jennifer Querry, in order to investigate. The two Assassins uncovered the plot of Parris and his partner, a judge named William Stoughton. The Templars were keeping convicted children prisoner in order to find the Piece of Eden. After finding a girl who knew of the Piece, the Assassins rescued her and a boy and barely escaped the Templars. They were tragically caught and tortured later though, but they kept the secret they learned nonetheless: the girl herself was the Piece; she shared a mental link to the Precursor, Consus.

But the girl couldn't live with the guilt of being partially responsible for the insanity of the Witch Trials, and killed herself before the Templars could do anything worse. This lead to Stoughton believing this plot had gone too far, and he began to work to end the madness, starting by setting Tom and the boy (Querry had been shot dead) free. The Trials continued throughout the year though, and well into 1693. More and more lives were taken, including Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Giles Corey, and most famously John Proctor. But eventually the madness did end, and any poor souls left alive were set free and pardoned. The colonists were forced to look at themselves, at the monsters they let themselves become. It was a slap to the face for them, and the rest of America. The moral of the story kids: believe in whatever faith you choose to, if any, just don't start hurting others in the name of that faith.

At this point, it was clear that America’s religious experiment had failed. The main focus now was economic and governmental progress in the colonies. But corruption was far from gone. In place of religious wackjobs came discriminatory, arrogant, and oppressive government leaders. It would've all seemed hopeless in these rugged, untamed lands… that is were it not for a few unsung heroes rising up. Because the Assassins would never let the Templars take over completely. They established local bases, ready to attack and recruit some local heroes into their fold to fight evil. They may have been rough, they may have been violent and loud, they may have been villainized by history book writers, but the truth shows them in a bright light. So gather up yer rum and hoist the black flag, me hearties. We be settin’ sail for the Caribbean.

Description

The Salem Witch Trials are the some of the most famous events in early colonial American history. It was the moment that practically solidified the fact that any attempts at “religious renewal” in America, or whatever the Puritans called it, we're both literally and metaphorically dead. We already discussed how most of the British American colonies were founded on financial progress, not religious reasons. But the Puritans definitely wanted their new lands to be completely founded on their faith. And it eventually ripped them apart.

Life for the Puritans sucked, like hard. Putting aside the fact that their religious beliefs denied them the right to dance, play, and really just have fun at all, their society and environment constantly battered at them. The Natives, understandably sick of being kicked off their lands, we're constantly attacking. The cold Massachusetts winters constantly made crops a pain to grow. Pretty much everything was out to get them. And being the religious fanatics they were, they blamed it all on the devil. So they were constantly looking over their shoulders, not for physical threats as they probably should have, but for demons.

By 1692, the local reverend was a man named Samuel Parris, who unbeknownst to the colonists was a member of the Templar Order. Parris had been sent to Salem with his family, including his niece Abigail Williams, because he was looking for something very, very valuable. A Piece of Eden.

The past few months had seen odd goings on in Salem. The local girls, including young Abigail, had been plagued with some odd disease that caused them seizures and hallucinations. The locals considered this the devil's work, and their fears were seemingly confirmed when the girls openly said it was. However, they mostly did this because it gave them the opportunity to point fingers at their local enemies and dub them witches or demons. The first to be hanged on charge of witchcraft was Bridget Bishop, and several innocent lives were soon to follow.

Parris theorized that amongst these “possessed” girls, at least one of them had to be legitimately affected by a Piece of Eden, and he used the insanity of the Witch Trials to cover up his investigation. But his enemies had also caught onto the trail. The Assassins sent their agent, Thomas Stoddard, to Salem to meet with another Assassin, Jennifer Querry, in order to investigate. The two Assassins uncovered the plot of Parris and his partner, a judge named William Stoughton. The Templars were keeping convicted children prisoner in order to find the Piece of Eden. After finding a girl who knew of the Piece, the Assassins rescued her and a boy and barely escaped the Templars. They were tragically caught and tortured later though, but they kept the secret they learned nonetheless: the girl herself was the Piece; she shared a mental link to the Precursor, Consus.

But the girl couldn't live with the guilt of being partially responsible for the insanity of the Witch Trials, and killed herself before the Templars could do anything worse. This lead to Stoughton believing this plot had gone too far, and he began to work to end the madness, starting by setting Tom and the boy (Querry had been shot dead) free. The Trials continued throughout the year though, and well into 1693. More and more lives were taken, including Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Giles Corey, and most famously John Proctor. But eventually the madness did end, and any poor souls left alive were set free and pardoned. The colonists were forced to look at themselves, at the monsters they let themselves become. It was a slap to the face for them, and the rest of America. The moral of the story kids: believe in whatever faith you choose to, if any, just don't start hurting others in the name of that faith.

At this point, it was clear that America’s religious experiment had failed. The main focus now was economic and governmental progress in the colonies. But corruption was far from gone. In place of religious wackjobs came discriminatory, arrogant, and oppressive government leaders. It would've all seemed hopeless in these rugged, untamed lands… that is were it not for a few unsung heroes rising up. Because the Assassins would never let the Templars take over completely. They established local bases, ready to attack and recruit some local heroes into their fold to fight evil. They may have been rough, they may have been violent and loud, they may have been villainized by history book writers, but the truth shows them in a bright light. So gather up yer rum and hoist the black flag, me hearties. We be settin’ sail for the Caribbean.