facts about the salem witch trials facts about the salem witch trials

"5 Facts About the Salem Trials." Mather saw the war against Satan as being just as important as the war against the French and the local Native American tribes. Here's what we know about the original witch hunt: 1. I think they where viewed in an horrible way, because the people who where accused where not really witches. This site helped a lot for me to understand the history of Salem. I love this site! 1982)]. There were no clear-cut rules besides that: either they were after women for being single, having too many friends, no friends or being too poor. These three women were social outcasts and easy targets for the accusation of witchcraft. Text adapted from the National Geographic book Witches! He is recorded to have recited a prayer uttered with such composedness from many, so that it seemed to some that the spectators would hinder the execution. Some (incredibly mean) people devoted their time to making a science out of witchcraft. See, the concept of fake news is nothing new. Some say it's because temperatures dropped significantly, there was famine and people needed a scapegoat. During that time, 19 people were hanged and one person was pressed to death. When a young Lancastrian woman called Alison Device asked for a pin from a travelling peddler but was denied, the peddler apparently became immediately paralysed down his left side. Hoffer, Peter Charles. Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. It makes me sad sometimes writing about it. No one in America has ever been put to death this way. His grandfather is a Putnam. Rebecca Nurses execution was a pivotal moment in the Salem Witch Trials. Also I was curious to know what the specific compromise was. This site is not a part of the Smithsonian website. In 1711, the colony passed a bill restoring some of the names of the convicted witches and paid a total of 600 in restitution to their heirs. Legal Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials. 136, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA. The Salem Witch Trials: Facts & History. The Salem Witch Trials: Facts & History. King William's War (war in the America colonies against the French) ended with many people having to be relocated so there were many strangers moving into town. A witness testifies against an accused witch during one of the many witchcraft trials of the 1690s. As sleet and snow heaped higher outside their door, Betty Parris and. The Salem Village hangings were the last executions of accused witches in the United States. Very well done! In April, more women were accused, as well as a number of men:Sarah CloyceElizabeth ProctorJohn ProctorGiles CoreyAbigail HobbsDeliverance HobbsWilliam HobbsMary WarrenBridget BishopSarah WildesNehemiah Abbott Jr.Mary EastyEdward BishopSarah BishopMary EnglishPhillip EnglishReverend George BurroughsLydia DustinSusannah MartinDorcas HoarSarah Morey. Robbins, Rossell Hope. The Puritan way of life was strict, and even small differences in behavior made people suspicious. One of the most popular theories as to what could have caused the mass hysteria of Salem is that of ergot poisoning, but recent scholars have questioned this idea. It also silenced any opposition to the idea that the Devil had infiltrated Salem. This illustration shows him speaking at Witches Hill, the site of his execution. 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. According to USLegal.com, Spectral evidence refers to a witness testimony that the accused person's spirit or spectral shape appeared to him/her witness in a dream at the time the accused person's physical body was at another location. By May 1693 . I guarantee Im not related to any putnum. 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. Her apology states: I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence that befell my fathers family in the year about 92; that I, then being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made an instrument for the accusing of several persons of a grievous crime, whereby their lives were taken away from them, whom now I have just grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons; and that it was a great delusion of Satan that deceived me in that sad time, whereby I justly fear I have been instrumental, with others, though ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon myself and this land the guilt of innocent blood; though what was said or done by me against any person I can truly and uprightly say, before God and man, I did it not out of any anger, malice, or ill-will to any person, for I had no such thing against one of them; but what I did was ignorantly, being deluded by Satan. Since some of the law enforcement involved in the Salem Witch Trials were being sued by some of the surviving victims, the bill also stated: no sheriff, constable, goaler or other officer shall be liable to any prosecution in the law for anything they then legally did in the execution of their respective offices.. thank u. Here are 10 facts about the witch trials that will surely send chills down your spine. Preston, VK. In seventeenth-century New England, pretty much everyone was practicing some form of Christianity. Cant wait to visit this place! Dr Griggs was a relative through my grandmother. Local clergymen began speaking out against the witch hunt and tried to persuade officials to stop the trials. Random House, 1956Fowler, Samuel Page. Salem Witch Trials Memorial at Proctor's Ledge Hopkins crusade was at its most virulent between 1644 and 1646. Planting, cultivating, the care of houses, barns, roads, fences, were all forgotten. I really enjoy reading your blog! By the end of the trials in 1693, 24 people had died, some in jail but most by hanging. The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between early 1692 and mid-1693. European Witch trials started at a similar time as Protestantism. Hemmed in by the ocean to the east and by an untamed wilderness to the west, settlers were completely disconnected from both the mother country on the other side of the Atlantic and the remainder of the American continent. What were the witch trials in Salem actually about and how did it all start? This was so helpful for my project! Although I just found it, it has helped me with what I needed on my Salem Witch Trials report for History. in journalism. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The primary sources of the Salem Witch Trials offer a wealth of information on these infamous trials. Of those arrested, the majority were women (85%) and only a handful were men (15%). The other two accused women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne, werent well liked by the community either. Often, that conversation shifts over towardsSalem, Massachusetts, and the famous trial in 1692that resulted in twenty executions. And insularity bred paranoia, as Schiff sharply explains. All would await trial for a crime punishable by death in17th-century New England the practice of witchcraft. Many modern theories suggest the girls were suffering from epilepsy, boredom, child abuse, mental illness or even a disease brought on by eating rye infected with fungus. (Eds.). Has their been any further studies into the ergot theory besides the collage student in the early 70s? Think it was her kids. The day of prayer and fasting was held on January 15, 1698, and was known as the Day of Official Humiliation. Other factors included a recent small pox epidemic in the colony, growing rivalries between families within the colony, a constant threat of attack from nearby Native-American tribes, and a recent influx of refugees trying to escape King Williams war with France in Canada and New York. A week later, the jury changed their minds and declared Nurse guilty. Does that mean they couldnt have been practicing witchcraft? The trials were held in the Salem courthouse, which was located in the center of Washington Street about 100 feet south of Lynde Street, opposite of where the Masonic Temple now stands. I want to use this for my bibliograohy, Same but I cant find it. 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. Warrants were issued by the dozen, sometimes for the arrest of the most unlikely suspects. Bad weather isn't the only reason why the witch hype began. thanks, primary sources of the Salem Witch Trials, View all posts by Rebecca Beatrice Brooks, http://www.zazzle.com/salem_village_map_poster-228789587972988887?rf=238784808055391622, https://historyofmassachusetts.org/best-books-about-salem-witch-trials/. The fact is, no accused witches were burned at the stake in Salem, Massachusetts. 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. Theres always a lot of discussion in the Pagan community about theso-called Burning Times, which is the term used to describe the witch hunts of early modern Europe. Very interesting article; Im glad I came across it! The following are some facts about the Salem Witch Trials: 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. 15 Dark Truths You Didn't Know About The Salem Witch Trials. Bishop had been accused of witchcraft years before but was cleared of the crime. 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. 618619. To understand the events of theSalem Witch Trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. The Examination of Sarah Good, March 1, 1692. The English laws against witchcraft were repealed in 1736, after which incidents of suspected bewitchment, by now very isolated, were dealt with by mob rule rather than by a clear legal framework. 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 of the greatest tragedies of the Salem Witch Trials was the concept of the familiars. http://www.easybib.com/cite/view. All witches are women, but not every woman is a witch. The doctor was unable to find anything physically wrong with them and suggested they may be bewitched. Thanks hopefully i get an A :). an A on my report i mean >< There are many theories that explain why the witch trials began in Medieval Europe. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFRobinson2001 (. It disgusts me but at the same time interests me, and makes me want to learn more. These spirits could inhabit any human or any creature. George Burroughs, a minister, was one of the few men accused of witchcraft during the trials. 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. . 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. I mean the whole cause was a wheat bacteria/fungi called ergot. Also i seems like a smarter thing to do at the moment if you had a rival with one of the families in town. Estimates suggest that over 200 women were executed during this period as a direct result of the investigations of Hopkins and his associates. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. 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. At the same time, the accused would be denied legal representation. Thank for the site it is so helpful for my project! Oh well, live n learn, Its sad when you can pick out names of your relatives in every list. I have all the other bibliographies from some other websites but I still need one from this one and I cant find it could you help me?? The link can be found in the section of this article titled Salem Witch Trial Victims. Related: The 10 Best Witch Things To Do In Salem. Presumptions whereupon persons may be committed, and, much more, convictions whereupon persons may be condemned as guilty of witchcrafts, ought certainly to be more considerable than barely the accused person's being represented by a specter unto the afflicted; inasmuch as it is an undoubted and notorious thing, that a demon may, by God's permission, appear, even to ill purposes, in the shape of an innocent, yea, and a virtuous man. The hysterical behaviour was an unconscious outlet for rebellion, a release valve for the pressure that the threat of eternal damnation put them under. 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). Salem Witchcraft and Cotton Mather: A Reply. Secondary sources would be Charles Uphams book Salem Witchcraft which was published in 1867, Emerson Bakers book A Storm of Witchcraft which was published in 2014 and etc. 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. On December 17, 1697, Governor Stoughton issued a proclamation in hopes of making amends with God. These were the last hangings of the Salem Witch Trials. Hi Julanii, I am the writer and publisher of this article. Every March, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of women as part of Womens History Month. The other most notorious case of witchcraft in England came during the British Civil Wars when Matthew Hopkins the son of a Puritan clergyman and the self-styled Witch Finder General scoured East Anglia in search those suspected of making covenants with the Devil. Awesome Article. I thought witchcraft only existed in Africa. One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death after refusing to enter a plea, and at least five people . 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. Salem Witchcraft and Cotton Mather. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. 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 just found this out. One person was pressed to death, and over 150 others were jailed, where still others died. This article was last updated on Nov 22, 2015. A Break With Charity: A Story About the Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi. In August of 1992, on the 300th anniversary of the trials, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial was unveiled and dedicated by Nobel Laureate Eli Wiesel. Native Americans and other religions represented threats by the Devil. More than 200 people were a.. Read the article free on Booksie. Thank you for this amazing article! Perhaps this question has something to do with the closure of the court of Oyer and Terminer, which was the special court established to hear the trials. They left an 11-year-old son, John Jr . During her trial, Bishop repeatedly defended herself, stating I am innocent, I know nothing of it, I have done no witchcraft . For years, Salem Village tried to separate itself politically from Salem Town. 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. Salem Witch Trials from William A. Crafts Did the people really believe in witches? 2, no. There were complex political, religious, and racial issues under the crisis. Ultimately, eight women and two men were tried and found guilty of attending the gathering. Encyclopdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. I need to cite this for my reference sheet. A secondary source would be a book, journal or article written long after the event by someone who didnt experience it first hand. my question for the project was what was the history of the salem witch trials. Oh and sorry for talking a lot but if you need a website for your bibliographys heres an awesome sight I use it for school a lot and its supper easy use. In February, Samuel Parris called for a doctor, who is believed to be Dr. William Griggs, to examine the girls. Witch hunts The two communities were three hours apart, by foot, which was the most common method of transportation at the time. And particularly, as I was a chief instrument of accusing of Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust, and to be humbled for it, in that I was a cause, with others, of so sad a calamity to them and their families; for which cause I desire to lie in the dust, and earnestly beg forgiveness of God, and from all those unto whom I have given just cause of sorrow and offence, whose relations were taken away or accused.. The leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. A strong belief in the devil, factions amongSalem Village familiesand rivalry with nearby Salem Town combined with a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion. Even Sarah Goods four-year-old daughter Dorothy was arrested and interrogated by the magistrates. The Salem witch trials marked a seven-month period of mass hysteria in 1692 Colonial America. Now that spectral evidence was not allowed, most of the remaining prisoners were found not guilty or released due to a lack of real evidence. By the way, thank you so much for this wonderful website; its really thorough and cool. 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. The Witchcraft of Salem Village. It was viewed as a sin against God, the church, and the Crown, and thus was treated as a crime. Maybe it's the influence of pop culture or maybe it's because it's theatrical, but a lot of people assume that witches were burned at the stake. Native History & Indigenous Acknowledgement, The Journey from 1692 to Salems Modern Witch Community. Got the movie and became more interested in what really happened. 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. Did the Putnams purchase any of the land from those who were accused and killed? She was released from jail shortly after the hangings began, and was never tried or convicted. Another five were executed exactly a month later on 19 August, four of whom were men. In isolated settlements, in dim, smoky, firelit homes, New Englanders lived very much in the dark, where one listens more acutely, feels more passionately, imagines most vividly, where the sacred and the occult thrive. These five executions were not the first in New England for the crime of witchcraft. In Germany alone, thousands of women died horrible deaths. Heavy stones were loaded onto the board and the weight was gradually increased until the prison either entered a plea or died. We also have kept good records of everything. He knew the clergy did not fully approve of the witch hunts. Between 1692 and 1693, more than two hundred people were accused. 9 Men Also Died During The Trials Most of the eyewitness accounts can be found in the court records and the books written by the ministers involved in the trials. As the cart bumps its way towards a hill on the outskirts, the five contemplate their mortality. To identify witches, authorities used the "touching test", in which victims of witchcraft would become calm upon touching the culprit. This is like the only website i found most helpful on Salem Witch Trial. Three days earlier, the death of another of the accused had occurred. Upon hearing about the Parris girls behavior, much of the Puritan community agreed that the duo had been victims of witchcraft. 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. As the years went by, the colonists felt ashamed and remorseful for what had happened during the Salem Witch Trials. 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. The bill cleared the names of: George Burroughs, John Proctor, George Jacobs, John Willard, Giles Corey, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Mary Easty, Sarah Wildes, Abigail Hobbs, Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Faulkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca Eames, Mary Post, Mary Lacey, Mary Bradbury and Dorcas Hoar. They accused other townspeople of torturing them, and a few of the so-called witches on trial even named others as witches. Bridget was accused by five of the afflicted girls, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam Jr., Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott and Elizabeth Hubbard, who stated she had physically hurt them and tried to make them sign a pact with the devil. Ever since those dark days ended, the trials have become synonymous with mass hysteria and scapegoating. 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. While the Salem of today is a thriving metropolitan area, in 1692 it was a remote settlement on the edge of the frontier. Most of the accusers were Puritans who lived on the farms. Corey, a woman who, in her own words, had made a profession of Christ and rejoiced to go and hear the word of God, had drawn the attention of the prosecutors by offering the opinion that the accusers were just poor, distracted children. Second, everyone got their food from the same place, so symptoms would have occurred in every household, not just a select few. Boyer, P., & Nissenbaum, S. Salem witch trials (1692-93), 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. Wigington, Patti. Dramatic historic events such as witch trials didn't just come out of nowhere. Great post, this helped a lot with my Witch Trials report for history class! Im doing the Salem witch trials for my A-Level coursework, does anyone know the full names of any historians that have spoken about this topic? Church was all powerful in those days. As the innocent women approached the gallows, in the last moments of their lives, they continued to protest their innocence. My fathers family have lived in this area for centuries. Add in the numerous films and television series that reference Salem, and things get even more distorted. 82 (Boston: Wright and Potter, 1902), pp. 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. Europe's favorite test was the swimming test. In mid-September, Corey was tortured this way for three days in a field near Howard Street until he finally died on September 19. Titubas confession was the trigger that sparked the mass hysteria and the hunt for more witches in Salem. They feared many innocent people were being executed. I sincerely cant thank you enough! They were a means of crowd control that gave way to changes in power structures. 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. Tituba was known to have played fortune-telling games, which were strictly forbidden by the Puritans. DHowlett1692, who blogs regularly about all things Salem, cites a 1977 article by Nicholas P. Spanos and Jack Gottlieb that disputes Caporaels ergotism study. Learn all about the origin, history, and significance of the Salem witch trials. Within minutes theyre led, hoods drawn over their heads, towards a rudimentary set of gallows, and their imminent executions. 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 less-than-thorough procedures of the Salem courtroom also prompted tighter, more rational legal processes that would later be enshrined in the US Constitution. Hysteria was from little girls facin threat of death by torture. In additionone man was pressed to death; several others died in prison, and the lives of many were irrevocably changed. She was hanged on June 10, 1692 at a place now called Proctors Ledge, which is a small hill near Gallows Hill, making her the first official victim of the witch trials.