responsibility to violate rights
The citizens of Salem were under the impression they had the responsibility to rid their community of those lesser than others. The trials started as a way of ridding the world of these lowly, beggars but progressed into much more. The members of Salem were also Puritans that followed a strict religion that overflowed into their government. Their religion required them to cleanse their town of evil when it was discovered. This was another responsibility the citizens believed they had. Not all people involved had pure intentions. The majority of the accusers gained an advantage from the imprisonment of a fellow community member whether it be land, wealth, or vengeance. These manipulative people lead to the rights of the accused being violated. Those tried for witchcraft were deprived of their unalienable rights. Though these rights were not established yet, humans possessed an understanding of each individual's right to life and property. Both of these rights were taken away from those accused. They lost their land and all of their possessions with no way of re-attaining them and in the most extreme cases, some lost their lives. The supposed responsibilities of the citizens of Salem consequentially desecrated the rights of their fellow society members.