They were accused of witchcraft. Many people back in those days feared it. However, anyone could accuse someone of witchcraft in those days without evidence. Some were accused because others had a grudge against them. Some people thought that because some of the women were convulsing or acting out of the ordinary that they must have been involved in witchcraft. Punishment was carried out to discourage others from getting involved in the wicked religion so to speak.
The assassin of President Garfield was a disgruntled office seeker. Arthur believed the Pendleton Act's merit system would prevent similar retaliations by unqualified spoils system applicants.
No, Germans with non-jewish ancestors were treated different. With jewish ancestors you “went into the gas”, meaning your former fellow citizens pointed at you with a gun, put you in a train and sent you to concentration camps.
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