(2021, September 9). As sleet and snow heaped higher outside their door, Betty Parris and her cousin Abigail began to twitch and twist their bodies into strange shapes, speaking in words that made no sense. Yes, it is loosely based on the Salem Witch Trials. What were the witch trials in Salem actually about and how did it all start? When Salem Villages new pastor,Reverend Samuel Parris, came to town, he denounced the secular behavior of the innkeepers and blacksmiths and others. Found Guilty and Executed:Bridget Bishop (June 10, 1692)Sarah Good (July 19, 1692)Elizabeth Howe (July 19, 1692)Susannah Martin (July 19, 1692)Rebecca Nurse (July 19, 1692)Sarah Wildes (July 19, 1692)George Burroughs (August 19, 1692)Martha Carrier (August 19, 1692)John Willard (August 19, 1692)George Jacobs, Sr (August 19, 1692)John Proctor (August 19, 1692)Alice Parker (September 22, 1692)Mary Parker (September 22, 1692)Ann Pudeator (September 22, 1692)Wilmot Redd (September 22, 1692)Margaret Scott (September 22, 1692)Samuel Wardwell (September 22, 1692)Martha Corey (September 22, 1692)Mary Easty (September 22, 1692), Refused to enter a plea and tortured to death:Giles Corey (September 19th, 1692), Found Guilty and Pardoned:Elizabeth ProctorAbigail Faulkner SrMary PostSarah WardwellElizabeth Johnson JrDorcas Hoar, Pled Guilty and Pardoned:Rebecca EamesAbigail HobbsMary Lacy SrMary Osgood, Died in Prison:Sarah OsburnRoger ToothakerAnn FosterLydia Dustin, Escaped from Prison:John Alden Jr.Edward Bishop Jr.Sarah BishopMary BradburyWilliam Barker Sr.Andrew CarrierKatherine CaryPhillip EnglishMary EnglishEdward Farrington, Never Indicted:Sarah BassettMary BlackBethiah Carter, JrBethiah Carter, SrSarah CloyceElizabeth HartWilliam HobbsThomas Farrer, SrWilliam ProctorSarah ProctorSusannah RootsAnn SearsTituba, Evaded Arrest:George Jacobs JrDaniel Andrews. They screamed, made unearthly sounds, suffered convulsions and violently threw objects, and themselves, around their homes. i would like to know more about the salem witch trials. Bad weather isn't the only reason why the witch hype began. There is actually a compilation of all of the primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials. Its pretty hard to show any sort of concrete, tangible evidence that someone is in league with the Devil or fiddling around with spirits. Mather saw the war against Satan as being just as important as the war against the French and the local Native American tribes. Although many of the other accused women were unpopular social outcasts, Nurse was a pious, well-respected and well-loved member of the community. Although she wasnt released, most people were confident she would be found not guilty and released. I last updated this article on March 26, 2016. Salem Witch Trial Facts - Learn Religions How Rye Bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials, Order in the Court: 10 Trials of the Century, https://www.britannica.com/facts/Salem-witch-trials. The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Essex County Court Archives, vol. The European witch trials took place in the 15th century. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. I find the Salem Witch trails to be the most interesting event in the colonization of whats now US. The initial article took me a few days to write and then I have been slowly adding to it and expanding it over the years. The Carringtons were indicted Feb. 20, 1651, and convicted and executed two weeks later, the only husband and wife to be accused, tried and hanged as witches. Hi Julanii, I am the writer and publisher of this article. "Reproducing Witchcraft: Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live". Seemed like there was alot of hate towards one another just for being different. On that day, Judge Samuel Sewall attended prayer services at Bostons South Church and asked Reverend Samuel Willard to read a public apology that Sewall had written, which states: Samuel Sewall, sensible of the reiterated strokes of God upon himself and family; and being sensible, that as to the guilt contracted upon the opening of the late Commission of Oyer and Terminer at Salem (to which the order of this day relates) he is, upon many accounts, more concerned than any that he knows of, desires to take the blame and shame of it, asking pardon of men, and especially desiring prayers that God, who has an unlimited authority, would pardon that sin and all other his sins; personal and relative: And according to his infinite benignity and sovereignty, not visit the sin of him, or of any other, upon himself or any of his, nor upon the land: But that he would powerfully defend him against all temptations to sin, for the future; and vouchsafe him the efficacious, saving conduct of his word and spirit.. They were said to have helped witches and were referred to as their familiars. Witch hunts Witchcraft had been made illegal during Henry VIIIs reign, with subsequent legislation passed under Elizabeth I further outlawing conjurations and enchantments. By the end of May, more than 60 people were in custody; the vast majority were women, but a handful of men were also detained. Warrants were issued by the dozen, sometimes for the arrest of the most unlikely suspects. As the cart bumps its way towards a hill on the outskirts, the five contemplate their mortality. Wigington, Patti. Her son Richard is one of my 8th great grandfathers and I keep waiting for a DNA match to pop up with one of his other descendants. Thanks so much for this! Some of these women were actually witches, though they were entirely innocent of the crimes of which they were convicted. Some say it's because temperatures dropped significantly, there was famine and people needed a scapegoat. Did the Salem Witch Trials have any affect on the way that the American court systems were designed once the United States became a country? I need to do a bibliography, and I have this page on it. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. The pair had been bewitched. Critics such as Proctor were quickly accused of witchcraft themselves, under the assumption that anyone who denied the existence of witches or defended the accused must be one of them, and were brought to trial. Montague Summer. Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims - HISTORY Boston, MA. While sympathy, and certainly empathy, are always good things to have, its also important that we dont let emotions color the facts. Well, most of the people accused lived in the part of Salem Village that was full of businesses and shops. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. All of the accused were finally pardoned in 1711. The Salem witch trials began because a group of girls claimed they were possessed by the devil. "5 Facts About the Salem Trials." Salem witch trials - The trials | Britannica Within minutes theyre led, hoods drawn over their heads, towards a rudimentary set of gallows, and their imminent executions. 5 Facts About the Salem Trials. The others were either found guilty but pardoned, found not guilty, were never indicted or simply evaded arrest or escaped from jail. Lines going back to Salem and Colonial New England in general are usually well documented. How were the 2 dogs killed during the salem witch trials? Of those arrested, the majority were women (85%) and only a handful were men (15%). this helped a lot on my social studies project. This was no more notable than when playwright Arthur Miller chose to dramatise the trials in his 1953 play The Crucible. Only the intervention of Cotton Mather whonappeased the crowd with the observation that the devil had often been transformed into the Angel of Light ensured that the hangings continued as scheduled. The first of the girls to start experiencing symptoms was Betty Parris, followed by Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam Jr., Mary Walcott and Mercy Lewis. When was this site last edited? Thank you, using this as a source! thanks, mike turner, The 1692 Salem Village map can now be purchased on zazzle: http://www.zazzle.com/salem_village_map_poster-228789587972988887?rf=238784808055391622. Salem Village was populated mostly by poor farmers, and Salem Town was a prosperous port full of middle-class and wealthy merchants. Other diagnoses have focused more on the mental wellbeing of the Salem girls. The courthouse was torn down in 1760 but a plaque dedicated to the courthouse can still be seen today on the wall of the Masonic Temple on Washington Street. Planting, cultivating, the care of houses, barns, roads, fences, were all forgotten. The trials only lasted three months, but they managed to leave a perpetual dark mark on the town's history. Nevertheless, we cannot but humbly recommend unto the government, the speedy and vigorous prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious, according to the direction given in the laws of God, and the wholesome statutes of the English nation, for the detection of witchcrafts. The two communities were three hours apart, by foot, which was the most common method of transportation at the time. Bridget Bishop - The First to Die in Salem Witch Trials, 8 Famous Witches From Mythology and Folklore, Salem, Massachusetts, and the famous trial in 1692, witchcraft was not seen as a religion at all. By May 1693 . Let me know if you are related to story too. Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. In effect, theSalem Witch Trialswere over. The indictments then came thick and fast. Indeed, as Stacy Schiff explains in The Witches, her history of the witch trials, It would have been difficult to find more than a few souls to whom the supernatural was not eminently real, part and parcel of the culture, as was the devil himself. The punishment was hanging. Get 6 issues for 19.99 and receive a 10 gift card* PLUS free access to HistoryExtra.com, Save 70% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $49.99 + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com. His diagnosis of bewitchment put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the hanging deaths of 19 men and women. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFRobinson2001 (. Very interesting article; Im glad I came across it! In short, Spanos and Gottlieb believe that the ergotism theory is off-base for several reasons. A. The girls were having a type of epileptic fit and would scream out . Unfortunately, I do not have any information on her family tree but you might want to check out a genealogy site like ancestry.com to find out more. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal. 135, p. 112, No. 5 Facts About the Real Salem Witch Hunt - History We know not whether some remarkable affronts given to the Devils by our disbelieving those testimonies whose whole force and strength is from them alone, may not put a period unto the progress of the dreadful calamity begun upon us, in the accusations of so many persons, whereof some, we hope, are yet clear from the great transgression laid unto their charge. William Ives and George W. Pease, 1857Session Laws. The 190th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, www.malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2001/Chapter122The 1692 Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Museum, www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education/salem-witch-trialsBlumberg, Jess. 10 Unsettling Facts About The Witch Trials - TheTravel Unlike some of the more notorious cases in Europe and England, such as that of the Pendle witch trial, there was no one among Salems accused who was known as a local witch or healer, with one exception. Note: it is expensive. The Salem Witch Trials began in spring 1692 and lasted for seven months, during which more than 150 people where arrested, 19 were hanged and one was tortured to death. The number of accusations and arrests began to decline in June but still continued and soon the local jails held more than 200 accused witches. Some of the suggested theories are: conversion disorder, epilepsy, ergot poisoning, Encephalitis, Lyme disease, unusually cold weather, factionalism, socio-economic hardships, family rivalries and fraud. Best Books About the Salem Witch Trials - History Of Massachusetts Blog A newer, more anti-religious charter replaced the original one in 1691 and also combined the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony and several other colonies into one. Nor can we esteem alterations made in the sufferers, by a look or touch of the accused, to be an infallible evidence of guilt, but frequently liable to be abused by the Devil's legerdemains. Thank-you for the great info you have shared. In an insular society like Salem, where anyone straying from the norm was immediately criticised or condemned, accusations of witchcraft were a method of self-defence, of keeping the more undesirable elements of the local community at arms length, if not removing them completely. 25 DISTURBING Facts About The Salem Witch Trials - YouTube Both, like Good, were viewed as outcasts by the local community; Tituba for her race and Osborne for the shedding of any religious beliefs she might once have held. Salem was ruled by English law at the time, which only allowed death by burning to be used against men who committed high treason and only after they had been hanged, quartered and drawn. A flurry of accusations from girls with afflictions similar to those of Betty Parris and Abigail Williams resulted in an avalanche of arrests and prosecutions. The preacher sad they could not kill the devil by shooting the dog but did anyway. This helped with my English assignment! They accused other townspeople of torturing them, and a few of the so-called witches on trial even named others as witches. One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death after refusing to enter a plea, and at least five people . You can unsubscribe at any time. I think in some forms that witches still exist in hidden arenas. Its a common myth that the Salem Witch Trials victims were burned at the stake. In seventeenth-century New England, pretty much everyone was practicing some form of Christianity. Please be respectful of copyright. During the trial, Tituba confessed to having seen the devil and also stated that there was a coven, or group, of witches in the Salem Village area. DHowlett1692, who blogs regularly about all things Salem, cites a 1977 article by Nicholas P. Spanos and Jack Gottlieb that disputes Caporaels ergotism study. Although spectral evidence, evidence based on dreams and visions, wasnt the only evidence used in court during the Salem Witch Trails, it was the most common evidence and the easiest evidence for accusers to fake. And, of course, theres the theory that it was all down to good old fashioned spite. Hoffer, Peter Charles. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Hi Maria, I dont have a version number for this site. Other medical explanations have included encephalitis lethargica, a disease carried by birds and animals, and Lyme disease, an infection that produces skin rashes similar to those believed to have been administered by the Salem witches. Salem Witch Trials from William A. Crafts Did the people really believe in witches? All rights reserved, National Geographic book Witches! Here are some of our favorite Salem attractions: Salem Witch Museum Your first stop should be the Salem Witch Museum. Crown Publishers Inc., 1959. In February, Samuel Parris called for a doctor, who is believed to be Dr. William Griggs, to examine the girls. This illustration shows him speaking at Witches Hill, the site of his execution. Even when the court ordered further executions, Phips wisely issued pardons to those convicted. English law at the time dictated that anyone who refused to enter a plea could be tortured in an attempt to force a plea out of them. Thats where spectral evidence comes in, and it played a significant role in the Salem trials. When the first inquiry is made into the circumstances of such as may lie under the just suspicion of witchcrafts, we could wish that there may be admitted as little as is possible of such noise, company and openness as may too hastily expose them that are examined, and that there may no thing be used as a test for the trial of the suspected, the lawfulness whereof may be doubted among the people of God; but that the directions given by such judicious writers as Perkins and Bernard [be consulted in such a case]. Then they even do a greater injustice by not only torturing folks in prison but hanging 19 of them and then putting rocks on a 71 year old man until he died because he would not state he was guilty or innocent (some old English law if accused refused to make a plea). Wicked Facts About the Salem Witch Trials - Factinate Salem Witch Trials Top Facts | Go City In June, Nathaniel Saltonstall resigned and was replaced by Jonathan Corwin. Rev Nicholas Noyes, one of the local clergymen who had vigorously pursued the prosecutions, was the particular focus of Sarah Goods anger: You are a liar. Hope that helps with your bibliography. Its entirely possible that much of the blame placed upon Tituba during the trials was based on her racial and social class. Here's how they got it done. This really helped me on my essay, thank you so much. After Nurses execution on July 19th, the residents of Salem started to seriously question the validity of the trials. As the weeks passed, other young girls claimed to have been infected by witchcraft too. If there is anyone has found anymore supporting theories please share. We cannot but, with all thankfulness, acknowledge the success which the merciful God has given unto the sedulous and assiduous endeavours of our honourable rulers, to detect the abominable witchcrafts which have been committed in the country, humbly praying, that the discovery of those mysterious and mischievous wickednesses may be perfected. Hi Sara, the last hangings of the Salem Witch Trials took place on September 22 and they include six women: Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott, Wilmot Redd and Mary Parker. What was this witchery actually about and how did it all start? A fear-ridden society always finds scapegoats. Although the afflicted girls were the main accusers during the trials, many historians believe the girls parents, particularly Thomas Putnam and Reverend Samuel Parris, were egging the girls on and encouraging them to accuse specific people in the community that they didnt like in an act of revenge. 135, no. The court didnt believe them, and found all three women guilty of practicing witchcraft. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca. Abigail Williams: The Mysterious Afflicted Girl. I needed this a lot but was having trouble with it. But the particular brand of paranoia that was rife in Salem Village fed by a rivalry with neighbouring Salem Town, ongoing family feuds and attacks by Native Americans developed into mass hysteria. Psychosomatic disorders have been suggested as the root of the hysteria, most notably the societal strains placed on them in a strict, deeply religious adult world that made no contingency for the developmental needs of children. Hopkins crusade was at its most virulent between 1644 and 1646. Good luck! The heat was stifling on a July day in 1692, as five dishevelled and bound women are paraded on a wooden cart through the streets of Salem village in the colony of Massachusetts Bay. This is like the only website i found most helpful on Salem Witch Trial. Wigington, Patti. What is the legacy of the Salem witch trials? Salem Witch Trials: Primary Sources - History Of Massachusetts Blog Although the infamous persecution of witches . Pre-trial examinations were held at the Salem Village meetinghouse, in Reverend Samuel Parris house in Salem Village, in Ingersoll Tavern at Salem Village and in Beadles Tavern in Salem Town. Salem Witch Trials Memorial at Proctor's Ledge They were part of a long story of witch hunts that began in Europe in the 14th century. It is pretty sad. The less-than-thorough procedures of the Salem courtroom also prompted tighter, more rational legal processes that would later be enshrined in the US Constitution. They did so in order to gather the observations of the colonys most senior ministers, to hear their reflections upon the state of things as they then stood. For years, Salem Village tried to separate itself politically from Salem Town. Ergot contains lysergic acid, a precursor for synthesis of LSD; certainly the visions of shape-shifting devils reported by the afflicted might be consistent with the experiences of an acid trip. This court consisted of eight judges. The Story of the Salem Witch Trials is a history of that event. 1982)]. It is called Records of the Salem Witch Hunt and is edited by Bernard Rosenthal. I need to compare 2 victims of the salem witch trails and find a way that they are linked as indiviguals and how their lives had similar paths that lead to victimhood but this thing is wayyyyy to long. I need to make a bibliography for my English report. A child pointed to a dog and said it bewitched me and shot the dog immediately. The eight-point response, penned by Cotton Mather, advised prudence when it came to procedure, cautioning that hastiness shouldnt overwhelm lawfulness. Giles Corey, the husband of Martha Corey, refused to enter a plea and was subjected to a particularly gruesome form of torture where the accused is crushed under heavy stones until they either respond or die a tactic known as peine forte et dure, (until he either answered or died). Even poor animals were not safe and they could actually get accused and executed as well. Salem Witch Trials: Who Were the Main Accusers? - HISTORY While Salem has, in the English-speaking world at least, become the byword for witch-hunts, a very similar episode occurred in Lancashire in 1612, some 80 years before the panic in New England the case of the Pendle Hill witches. 14 (in the history 201 course-pack compiled by S. McSheffrey & T. McCormick), Trans. The Salem Witch Trials and Ergot: Mushroom Madness? See, the concept of fake news is nothing new. No one in America has ever been put to death this way. 15 Dark Truths You Didn't Know About The Salem Witch Trials. https://www.learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897 (accessed March 5, 2023). Thank you for this amazing article! We've rounded up some interesting facts about Salem so you can enjoy it from home this season. To understand the events of theSalem Witch Trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. By now, seven months on from the arrest of Sarah Good, the hysteria was decelerating. I read a paper several years ago that attributed much of the Salem Witch Trials to classism and arguments over land and land rights several years ago, but cant seem to remember its authors or publisher. When James II, unspeakably Catholic, became the titular head of the Church of England (itself considered evil), it was proof that the mother country had come under diabolical control When James II created the Dominion of New England, ordering the New England theocracy to allow the C of E inside, it was the end of their holy mission in the wilderness. Luckily ann putnum jr lived to apologize. The girls accusation was that Good had performed witchcraft on them. Is there any credence to this theory? An allegory of the intolerant McCarthyism discolouring the nation at the time Miller would himself be called before the Committee on Un-American Activities three years later the parallels were undeniable. One freezing day in January of 1692, something strange happened inside the Parris household of Salem Village, Massachusetts. There is no documentation of where she may have gone after the trials. They were soft, obvious targets for a mistrustful, God-fearing populace living along strictly defined lines. I am as innocent as the child unborn. Although I just found it, it has helped me with what I needed on my Salem Witch Trials report for History. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Puritan way of life was strict, and even small differences in behavior made people suspicious. The persecutors had to come up with a whole irrational legal system in order to justify this insanity. The history (both good and bad) is something we should all know about. Those who were found guilty were pardoned by Governor Phips. And if you take away my life, God will give you blood to drink.. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Institute, 23 Oct. 2007, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/. 42 Wicked Facts About the Salem Witch Trials - factinate.com Also, when was his last updated? 9, 17181718, Chap. While the Salem of today is a thriving metropolitan area, in 1692 it was a remote settlement on the edge of the frontier. At the same time, the accused would be denied legal representation. Bridget Bishop was the first person brought to trial. I need a bibliography for my class report. The Examination of Bridget Bishop, April 19, 1692. Native History & Indigenous Acknowledgement, The Journey from 1692 to Salems Modern Witch Community. For years, Salem Village tried to separate itself politically from Salem Town. ", What does that mean, in laymans terms? A week later, the jury changed their minds and declared Nurse guilty. The Salem Witch Trials - History The theory first came to prominence in the 1970s, when Linnda R. Caporael wrote Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. George Burroughs, a minister, was one of the few men accused of witchcraft during the trials. The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology. Hi Indigo, Im assuming you mean eyewitness accounts. When was this last edited? One bitterly cold evening, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams the daughter and niece of the local Puritan minister Samuel Parris began displaying disturbing behaviour described as being beyond the power of epileptic fits or natural disease to effect.