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This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, and the event still haunts us today. OMG! Also i seems like a smarter thing to do at the moment if you had a rival with one of the families in town. You can unsubscribe at any time. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. The exact cause of the Salem Witch Trials is unknown but they were probably a number of causes. Over 150 people were arrested for allegedly using witchcraft to inflict harm on their fellow townspeople, resulting in the executions of 20 people and the prison deaths of five more. And if you take away my life, God will give you blood to drink.. 25 DISTURBING Facts About The Salem Witch Trials - YouTube Often, that conversation shifts over towardsSalem, Massachusetts, and the famous trial in 1692that resulted in twenty executions. Lienhard says, In recent years, though, the ergot theory has been questioned. The girls were having a type of epileptic fit and would scream out . While Puritanism in New England demanded rigidly defined behaviour (hymns were the only permissible music, while childrens toys were outlawed), the colonys geographical isolation increased the insularity of these communities. I think that maybe they thought they were bewitched. I love this site! Kinda sad after reading everything. The other two accused and arrested at the same time were Sarah Osborne and Tituba, the Parriss black slave. It also silenced any opposition to the idea that the Devil had infiltrated Salem. If you want to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials, check out this article on the best Salem Witch Trials books. Massachusetts Archives Collection, vol. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The mayhem all started in 1692, when two cousins aged nine and 11 began experiencing delusions, strange fits, and other mysterious maladies. Being burned at the stake was an occasionally used method of execution in Europe, when one was convicted of witchcraft, but was generally reserved for those who refused to repent of their sins. 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. Ergot is a fungus found in bread, and has the same effect as hallucinogenic drugs. What were the witch trials in Salem actually about and how did it all start? Salem witch trials, (June 1692-May 1693), in American history, a series of investigations and persecutions that caused 19 convicted "witches" to be hanged and many other suspects to be imprisoned in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Danvers, Massachusetts). When Salem Villages new pastor,Reverend Samuel Parris, came to town, he denounced the secular behavior of the innkeepers and blacksmiths and others. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. In seventeenth-century New England, pretty much everyone was practicing some form of Christianity. The history (both good and bad) is something we should all know about. Related: Scary Stories: 10 Places For Stephen King Fans To Visit. I know that the accusers, at least some of them were aligned with the Putnam family who was known to have land disputes with several of the villagers. Native History & Indigenous Acknowledgement, The Journey from 1692 to Salems Modern Witch Community. Salem Village was populated mostly by poor farmers, and Salem Town was a prosperous port full of middle-class and wealthy merchants. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. Hi RebeccaI saw that you have a lot of knowledge about Mary EastyI was told this year at a funeral that I am a direct decendent of hersI live in Salem and My Grandfather was name William Esteydo you by any chance have any history of the family tree? Encyclopdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them. im doing a huge assessment in my language arts class called national history day and i love how into detail this went! propably in like 1-3 weeks away. The trials only lasted three months, but they managed to leave a perpetual dark mark on the town's history. Instead, in 1692, hanging was the preferred form of punishment. Spanos and Gottlieb argue. In addition to this constant sense of fear, Salem residents were also under a great deal of stress during this period due to a number of factors. Ever since those dark days ended, the trials have become synonymous with mass hysteria and scapegoating. Since the accused witches were considered dangerous prisoners, they were kept in the dungeon and were chained to the walls because jail officials believed this would prevent their spirits from fleeing the jail and tormenting their victims. Salem Witch Trials: Primary Sources - History Of Massachusetts Blog Im glad it was helpful. While the Salem of today is a thriving metropolitan area, in 1692 it was a remote settlement on the edge of the frontier. Massachusetts was like the early state of Israel. On October 31, 2001, the state amended the 1957 apology and cleared the names of the remaining unnamed victims, stating: Chapter 145 of the resolves of 1957 is hereby amended by striking out, in line 1, the words One Ann Pudeator and certain other persons and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Ann Pudeator, Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmot Redd.. The Salem Witch Trials are a dark stain on American history and on the history of Christianity. Sources:Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft: With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft. http://www.easybib.com/cite/view. A total of 19 accused witches were hanged at Proctors Ledge, near Gallows Hill, during the witch trials. Soon, prisons were filled with more than 150 men and women from towns surrounding Salem; their names had been cried out by tormented young girls as the cause of their pain. Great post, this helped a lot with my Witch Trials report for history class! As in complaints upon witchcrafts, there may be matters of inquiry which do not amount unto matters of presumption, and there may be matters of presumption which yet may not be matters of conviction, so it is necessary, that all proceedings thereabout be managed with an exceeding tenderness towards those that may be complained of, especially if they have been persons formerly of an unblemished reputation. 31. An elderly woman accused of witchcraft is taken to the courthouse by an officer of the law. As the years went by, the colonists felt ashamed and remorseful for what had happened during the Salem Witch Trials. However, the subtlety of the ministers response was largely sidelined by the grand jury, who drew their energy from one particular concluding line from Mather: we cannot but humbly recommend unto the government, the speedy and vigorous prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious. In possession of such a mandate, the trials moved up a gear. Legal Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials. You can check out my article on books about the Salem Witch Trials here:https://historyofmassachusetts.org/best-books-about-salem-witch-trials/ or you could search the court records online on the University of Virginia website. Some of these women were actually witches, though they were entirely innocent of the crimes of which they were convicted. Hi Maria, I dont have a version number for this site. In additionone man was pressed to death; several others died in prison, and the lives of many were irrevocably changed. He knew the clergy did not fully approve of the witch hunts. There were complex political, religious, and racial issues under the crisis. The Salem Witch Trials - History As the innocent women approached the gallows, in the last moments of their lives, they continued to protest their innocence. The two communities were three hours apart, by foot, which was the most common method of transportation at the time. In February, Samuel Parris called for a doctor, who is believed to be Dr. William Griggs, to examine the girls. A man of God literally planned out a witch genocide. The Salem Witch Trials: Facts & History. The Salem Witch Trials: Facts & History. No one was burned at the stake in Salem, but nineteen people were hanged, and one was pressed to death under heavy stones. It is voluminous and comes in paperback and hardcover. When asked who had done this to them, Betty and Abigail blamed three townswomen, including Tituba, a Native American slave who worked in the Parris household. Salem Witch Trials: The Hysteria Spreads Salem Witch Trials: Conclusion and Legacy The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem. Are there any other theories as to what may have caused the girls strange behavior? No one cared about minorities or "loners" anyway. Proctors wife managed to escape execution because she was pregnant, but Proctor was hanged on August 19 along with five other people. Essex County Court Archives, vol. 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. Well, most of the people accused lived in the part of Salem Village that was full of businesses and shops. Then after said the dog died so it must have been innocent. The new court was presided over by William Stoughton, Thomas Danforth, John Richards, Waitstill Winthrop and Samuel Sewall. Not many people fled Salem, only a handful did, because Salem was their home and had been for a long time. Knowing that if he was convicted his large estate would be confiscated and wouldnt be passed down to his children, Corey brought his trial to a halt by refusing to enter a plea. ", What does that mean, in laymans terms? The Salem witch trials started with two girls having unexplainable fits. Thank you, using this as a source! Has their been any further studies into the ergot theory besides the collage student in the early 70s? It went all the way back to the Salem Witch trials. 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. In mid-September, Corey was tortured this way for three days in a field near Howard Street until he finally died on September 19. You have been so helpful! In 1957, the state of Massachusetts officially apologized for the Salem Witch Trials and cleared the name ofsome of the remaining victims not listed in the 1711 law, stating: One Ann Pudeator and certain other persons yet did not list the other victims names. 121, p. 108. All witches are women, but not every woman is a witch. Thank you so much for this! They hanged the poor souls instead. The other two accused women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne, werent well liked by the community either. 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. Hi Sarah, Two days before the court convened, a Puritan minister from Boston named Cotton Mather wrote to one of the judges expressing his concern over the admissibility of such evidence. Local clergymen began speaking out against the witch hunt and tried to persuade officials to stop the trials. Other diagnoses have focused more on the mental wellbeing of the Salem girls. When she is not traveling, you will find her reading, drinking coffee and chatting away with her many international friends. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. The doctors diagnosis? William was happily a Calvinist, but not even that changed the fact New England theocracy was at an end. Is the tv show Salem based on the Salem Witch Trials? How Did The Salem Witch Trials Impact On American History Proctors entire family was accused, including all of his children, his pregnant wife Elizabeth, and sister-in-law. The punishment was hanging. Thanks so much! Before we get into the interesting facts about Salem and the Witch Trials, let's do a brief history of the Salem Witch Trials. These women were Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn and a slave named Tituba who worked for Reverend Samuel Parris. Even Sarah Goods four-year-old daughter Dorothy was arrested and interrogated by the magistrates. In pre-echoes of what would later occur in Salem, panic took hold of the local community, with accusations flying in all directions. Farms were mortgaged or sold, first to pay prison fees, then to pay taxes; frequently they were abandoned. More significant were admissions of attending a witches meeting on Pendle Hill. 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. Thats where spectral evidence comes in, and it played a significant role in the Salem trials. On October 29, 1692, Phips dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer, a decision that marked the beginning of the end for the Salem witch trials. There the accused were questioned by a judge in front of a jury, which decided whether or not to indict the accused on charges of witchcraft. The Story of the Salem Witch Trials is a history of that event. They were said to have helped witches and were referred to as their familiars. Good had been among the first local women to be arrested, after several young girls from the village had experienced mysterious afflictions the previous February. At the center of the Salem witch trials were a core group of accusers, all girls and young women ranging in age from nine to 20, who screamed, writhed, barked and displayed other horrifying. Oh well, live n learn, Its sad when you can pick out names of your relatives in every list. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Heavy stones were loaded onto the board and the weight was gradually increased until the prison either entered a plea or died. Which brings us to. On September 22, eight people were hanged. Her initial verdict was, in fact, not guilty, but upon hearing the verdict the afflicted girls began to have fits in the courtroom. The state amended the 1957 apology on the exact date i was born. 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. Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims - HISTORY In short, Spanos and Gottlieb believe that the ergotism theory is off-base for several reasons. Shortly after, Elizabeth Hubbard, Susannah Sheldon, Mary Warren and Elizabeth Booth all started to experience the same symptoms, which consisted of suffering fits, hiding under furniture, contorting in pain and experiencing fever. The Salem witch trials, which resulted in several deaths in 1692 in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, have never been adequately explained. Bad weather isn't the only reason why the witch hype began. A prolific pamphleteer railing against the spread of witchcraft (or molestations from the invisible world), Mather was nonetheless keen for due diligence to occur inside the courtroom. No more restricting property ownership and voting rights to only church members. [State v. Dustin, 122 N.H. 544, 551 (N.H. Finally, many of the symptoms described by witnesses stopped and began again based on external circumstances, and that simply doesnt happen with physiological illness. Often, in movies and television and books, the accusers in the Salem trials are portrayed as angsty teenage girls, but thats not completely true. The infamous Salem witch trials lasted for approximately one year. Those who lived nearer to Salem Town engaged in commerce and were seen as a bit more worldly. 62, No. Through the loss of 20 lives, the episode continues to warn of the dangers of insularity and isolationism, of intolerance, of religious extremism. The slave Tituba, because of her background in the Caribbean (or possibly the West Indies), could have practiced some form of folk magic, but that has never been confirmed. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Witch hunts I really enjoy reading your blog! Yet another crucial moment during the Salem Witch Trials was the public torture and death of Giles Corey. 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]. The puritans, who had left England due to religious persecution, feared their religion was under attack again and worried they were losing control of their colony. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 143159, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 02:44. And this was for a people who saw themselves as ordered by God to build their shining City on a Hill. Top 10 Dark Truths About the Salem Witch Trials - TheTopTens Most of the accused really had nowhere else to go and many of them didnt have the money to leave even if they wanted to. i would like to know more about the salem witch trials. Massachusetts was an outpost of Gods chosen people in a hostile wilderness in the 17th century. 1982)]. The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. There is actually a compilation of all of the primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials. This belief in the power of the accused to use their invisible shapes or spectres to torture their victims had sealed the fates of those tried by the Court of Oyer and Terminer. 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. Thank you for making this blog post! As if the class and religious differences werent bad enough, Salem was in an area that was under regular attack from Native American tribes. And insularity bred paranoia, as Schiff sharply explains. The Salem Village hangings were the last executions of accused witches in the United States. Good and Osbourne insisted they were innocent. Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. On 2 June, the specially convened Court of Oyer and Terminer (oyer meaning to hear, terminer meaning to decide) sat for the first time, presided over by William Stoughton, the newly appointed lieutenant governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Well, Sharis, the Salem Witch Trials are quite complicated and cant be accurately summed up in a short article. The Salem witch trials began because a group of girls claimed they were possessed by the devil. Salem was . Warrants were issued by the dozen, sometimes for the arrest of the most unlikely suspects. The fact is, no accused witches were burned at the stake in Salem, Massachusetts. Yes, it is loosely based on the Salem Witch Trials. A week later, the jury changed their minds and declared Nurse guilty. 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. Other evidence used in the trials included confessions of the accused, possession of certain items such as poppets, ointments or books on the occult, as well as the presence of an alleged witchs teat, which was a strange mole or blemish, on the accused persons body. One theory which could explain the apparent madness of the trial and judicial hangings may be found in the bread the settlers were eating. 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. One of the greatest tragedies of the Salem Witch Trials was the concept of the familiars. 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. The Salem Witch Trials were not a positive section of American history but have been used as a learning tool for the United States. Massachusetts Archives, Vol. These spirits could inhabit any human or any creature. Unauthorized use is prohibited. 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. 9 Things You Might Not Know About the Salem Witch Trials thank u. How the Salem Witch Trials Influenced the American Legal System - HISTORY I sincerely cant thank you enough! 1. European Witch trials started at a similar time as Protestantism. If they drowned, they were considered innocent. thank you for the bibliography it helps a lot! Salem Witch Trials Of 1692 | Landmarks, Events, & More 14 (in the history 201 course-pack compiled by S. McSheffrey & T. McCormick), Trans. They basically played the trump card of the times. 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. Its pretty hard to show any sort of concrete, tangible evidence that someone is in league with the Devil or fiddling around with spirits. 618619. The European witch trials took place in the 15th century. HI there! Three Salem Women: The Stories of Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator and Bridget Bishop, Salem Witch Trials Weekly, produced by the Salem Witch Museum, Bewitchment in Salem, produced by the Salem Witch Museum in conjunction with SATV, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siegeby Marilynne K. Roach (Jul 22, 2004), Cry Innocent: The People vs. Bridget Bishop, The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming at the Peabody Essex Museum. 10 Unsettling Facts About The Witch Trials, The Symptoms That Gave Witches Away Make No Sense At All, Women Could Save Themselves By Pointing A Finger (At Someone Innocent), Witch Trials In Germany Took Thousands Of Lives, It Wasn't Just Women Who Suffered Because Of The Trials, The Witch Tests Often Had No Way Of Getting Out Alive, As If They Didn't Suffer Enough, Social Outcasts Had It The Worst, Scary Stories: 10 Places For Stephen King Fans To Visit, 10 Scary Churches From Around The World That Will Creep You Out, Spooky Places: 10 Destinations For Fans Of Witches. Cant wait to visit this place! If there is anyone has found anymore supporting theories please share. The Untold Story of the Salem Witch Trials #shorts #history They were during the Colonial times. The proclamation suggested that there should be: observed a Day of Prayer with Fasting throughout the ProvinceSo that all Gods people may put away that which hath stirred Gods Holy jealousy against his land; that he wouldhelp us wherein we have done amiss to do so no more; and especially that whatever mistakes on either hand have fallen intoreferring to the late tragedy, raised among us by Satan and his instruments, through the awful judgement of God, he would humble us therefore and pardon all the errors and people that desire to love his name.