a.) inability of authors to know every cause and consequence of every story.
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Historians are always concerned with accuracy of their writings and readings. Also very much aware of an authors inability to know every angle of every story.
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.
Lincoln’s argument in response to the South’s compact theory was that African American people are people, all the same, no mater the color of skin. And later fallowed the Emancipation Proclamation.