Over three centuries ago, witch trials plagued the thirteen colonies. Many men and women were tried on flimsy evidence and ultimately hanged for their “crimes.” Being a sore point in American history, Nathaniel Hawthorne felt its weight. His great-great-grandfather, William Hathorne, was a judge during the famous Salem witch trials where he convicted and executed several citizens. On his way to becoming a renowned author in the United States, Nathaniel changed his last name by adding a "w" to distance himself from his family's past. He later published The Scarlet Letter, which can be described as an attack on the Puritan religion and their behavior. Nathaniel contrasts Puritan and Romantic characteristics to highlight the closed thinking and behavior of the religious community in the 1600s, while at the same time allowing Hawthorne to expose the ignorance that shrouded his ancestors. History has noted our love of conflict and tragedy, unwanted or otherwise. Those who broke the laws in the 1600s were punished and “…the fundamental rule was to follow God's law.” ...