facts about the salem witch trials

1. Did you know they executed 2 dogs?! Which brings us to. The theory first came to prominence in the 1970s, when Linnda R. Caporael wrote Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem? In mid-September, Corey was tortured this way for three days in a field near Howard Street until he finally died on September 19. Twenty-four people died during the Salem witch trials, though many more were accused of witchcraft. Please be respectful of copyright. And, of course, theres the theory that it was all down to good old fashioned spite. Everything we know now about the trials comes from just a handful of primary sources of the Salem Witch Trials. Presided over by William Stoughton . The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schnauzer. Those who were found guilty were pardoned by Governor Phips. 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. If the accused was indicted, they were not allowed a lawyer and they had to decide to plead guilty or not guilty with no legal counsel to guide them. It was last edited on September 8, 2013 at 4:52 pm, Thank you, Rebecca, recently I have been down and this is a paper for a class Im failing, Thank you for helping me get an A, What is the publisher for this website? 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. He was later exonerated. and good job rebbeca! A witness testifies against an accused witch during one of the many witchcraft trials of the 1690s. 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. Since the witch trials ended, the colony also began to suffer many misfortunes such as droughts, crop failures, smallpox outbreaks and Native-American attacks and many began to wonder if God was punishing them for their mistake. A. Despite its power as a cautionary tale, Salem remains an enigma that continues to fascinate and beguile more than three centuries later. What gave witches away were body marks, such as scars and moles. All would await trial for a crime punishable by death in17th-century New England the practice of witchcraft. 2, no. Massachusetts was like the early state of Israel. The Salem witch trials marked a seven-month period of mass hysteria in 1692 Colonial America. Robbins, Rossell Hope. 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. On July 23, John Proctor wrote to the clergy in Boston. It was divided into two distinct and very different socioeconomic parts. Another notable person who was accused of witchcraft was Captain John Alden Jr., the son of the Mayflower crew member John Alden. A total of 19 accused witches were hanged at Proctors Ledge, near Gallows Hill, during the witch trials. Three days earlier, the death of another of the accused had occurred. This was the name that was given to the evil spirits that were supposedly floating around the witches while they practiced their dark arts. How twisted is that? Questions VII & XI. thank u. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. This really helped with my homework on the salem witch trials cause soon we are going to do an essay on this very soon. There are many theories that explain why the witch trials began in Medieval Europe. A lot was changing in colonial America at the time. His death was gruesome and cruel and strengthened the growing opposition to the Salem Witch Trials. 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. While sympathy, and certainly empathy, are always good things to have, its also important that we dont let emotions color the facts. 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. For years, Salem Village tried to separate itself politically from Salem Town. It went all the way back to the Salem Witch trials. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Im using this for my History project. Get FREE access to HistoryExtra.com. This was a dark time but it is good to see the court system advance. Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.Crewe, Sabrina and Michael V. Uschan. The girls were having a type of epileptic fit and would scream out . Its a common myth that the Salem Witch Trials victims were burned at the stake. Although the infamous persecution of witches . This legal tactic was known as peine forte et dure which means strong and harsh punishment.. The political instability and threat to their religion created a feeling of uneasiness and discontent in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. I want to use this for my bibliograohy, Same but I cant find it. In addition to official court records there are also several books written by the ministers and other people involved in the trials: A Brief and True Narrative of Some Remarkable Passages Relating to Sundry Persons Afflicted by Witchcraft, at Salem Village: Which happened from the Nineteenth of March, to the Fifth of April, 1692 by Deodat Lawson circa 1692 The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England by Cotton Mather circa 1692 More Wonders of the Invisible World by Robert Calef circa 1700 A Modest Enquiry Into the Nature of Witchcraft by John Hale circa 1702. Some of these women were actually witches, though they were entirely innocent of the crimes of which they were convicted. It has so many details that I need. These unsettling facts will shed light. Thank you for this amazing Article. Dr Griggs was a relative through my grandmother. Shortly after, two of the girls named the women they believed were bewitching them. At the announcement ceremony, playwright Arthur Miller made a speech and read from the last act of his 1953 play, The Crucible, which was inspired by the Salem Witch Trials. Due to overcrowding in the jails, the accused witches were kept in multiple jails in Salem town, Ipswich and Boston. North Wind Picture Archives, Alamy Stock Photo. Does anyone know who was the last one to be accused of witchcraft and died , all she did was healing and someone who she knew turned her in. The other two accused women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne, werent well liked by the community either. This court consisted of eight judges. In 1813, the wooden structure of the jail was remodeled into a Victorian home and in 1956 the home was razed. A man of God literally planned out a witch genocide. 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. 31. Do you know if their are any reports from some of the people in the villiage? If you are looking for more info on the victims themselves, you can check out the article I wrote specifically about them titled The Salem Witch Trials Victims: Who Were They? 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/. 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. I find the Salem Witch trails to be the most interesting event in the colonization of whats now US. I also have an ancestor, Mary Parsons, who was accused of witchcraft but she was allowed to live. Warrants were issued by the dozen, sometimes for the arrest of the most unlikely suspects. The court didnt believe them, and found all three women guilty of practicing witchcraft. 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. 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. 1 Most of the accused were women but men were accusedand executedtoo. 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. The girls accusation was that Good had performed witchcraft on them. I find the history interesting and would like to find more information on this matter. I Oh well, live n learn, Its sad when you can pick out names of your relatives in every list. Farms were mortgaged or sold, first to pay prison fees, then to pay taxes; frequently they were abandoned. When it came to religion, Salem Village was as devout as any other settlement in the area; one visitor observed that the residents of New England could neither drive a bargain, nor make a jest, without a text of Scripture at the end of it. One person was pressed to death, and over 150 others were jailed, where still others died. One of the most popular theories as to what could have caused the mass hysteria of Salem in 1692 is that of ergot poisoning. One major factor was that in 1684, King Charles II revoked the Massachusetts Bay Colonys royal charter, a legal document granting the colonists permission to colonize the area. Lines going back to Salem and Colonial New England in general are usually well documented. Although she wasnt released, most people were confident she would be found not guilty and released. Native Americans and other religions represented threats by the Devil. The witchcraft hysteria in Salem first began in January of 1692 when a group of young girls, who later came to be known as the afflicted girls, fell ill after playing a fortune-telling game and began behaving strangely. 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. 6 The Role Of Religion In Witch Trials The preacher sad they could not kill the devil by shooting the dog but did anyway. A Brief History of The Salem Witch Trials.Brief History Of The Salem Witch Trials The Salem witch trials took place between 1692 & 1693, in colonial Massachusetts. 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. 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. The charter was revoked because the colonists had violated several of the charters rules, which included basing laws on religious beliefs and discriminating against Anglicans. [State v. Dustin, 122 N.H. 544, 551 (N.H. Boyer, P., & Nissenbaum, S. It means that even though supernatural evidence might seem sketchy to us in this day and age, for people like Cotton Mather and the rest of Salem, it was perfectly acceptable in cases of necessity. Related: Scary Stories: 10 Places For Stephen King Fans To Visit. Its entirely possible that much of the blame placed upon Tituba during the trials was based on her racial and social class. 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. On October 29, Phips dismissed the Court of Oyer and Terminer. 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. Between 1647 and 1688, 12 women had been sentenced to death for making covenants with the devil. No one was burned at the stake in Salem, but nineteen people were hanged, and one was pressed to death under heavy stones. If these individuals had never written these books or helped record the proceedings, we wouldnt know half of what we know about the witch trials. The Salem Witch Trials Victims: Who Were They? Wigington, Patti. Now I know it is not only there that it existed. Hi Indigo, Im assuming you mean eyewitness accounts. Some (incredibly mean) people devoted their time to making a science out of witchcraft. 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? my question for the project was what was the history of the salem witch trials. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897. Other diagnoses have focused more on the mental wellbeing of the Salem girls. It was not difficult for the people of Salem to believe they were involved in witchcraft. Ergot is a fungus found in bread, and has the same effect as hallucinogenic drugs. However, in the more than three centuries since then, the historical waters have gotten a bit muddied, and many modern Pagans find themselves sympathetic towards Salems accused. In the 300 years since the Salem Witch Trials, experts have gone to great lengths to offer explanations for the young Salem girls afflictions of a somewhat more rational nature than the witchcraft diagnosed at the time. On May 27, 1692, after weeks of informal hearings accompanied by imprisonments, Sir William Phips (also spelled Phipps), the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, interceded and ordered the convening of an official Court of Oyer ("to hear") and Terminer ("to decide") in Salem Town. These spirits could inhabit any human or any creature. As sleet and snow heaped higher outside their door, Betty Parris and. The Examination of Bridget Bishop, April 19, 1692. Also, when was his last updated? I am as innocent as the child unborn. Proctors entire family was accused, including all of his children, his pregnant wife Elizabeth, and sister-in-law. Samuel Parris of Salem Village. The new court was presided over by William Stoughton, Thomas Danforth, John Richards, Waitstill Winthrop and Samuel Sewall. I last updated this article on March 26, 2016. As for why these victims were targeted in the first place, historians have noted that many of the accused were wealthy and held different religious beliefs than their accusers. Having initially set up the Court of Oyer and Terminer, Governor William Phips having returned from fighting in King Philips War in Maine voiced concerns about what danger some of [his] innocent subjects might be exposed to and dissolved the court, in the process pardoning those remaining in custody. Got the movie and became more interested in what really happened. I need to make a bibliography for my English report. Legal Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials. Not that the prosecutions were concluded even then. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Daily chores, business matters and other activities were neglected during the chaos of the witch trials, causing many problems in the colony for years to come, according to the book The Witchcraft of Salem Village: The whole colony, moreover, had suffered. As a direct result, food became scarce and taxes higher. As a travel enthusiast, she makes sure she visits at least two new destinations each year and loves to share her knowledge with the readers of TheTravel. The history (both good and bad) is something we should all know about. 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. 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. Hi Julanii, I am the writer and publisher of this article. In early July, Sarah Good and her four co-accused were tried and found guilty of bewitchment, making that journey to the gallows on that wooden cart a few days later. The Salem Witch Trials were one of the best documented trials of colonial times. Getting the right to vote didn't come easy for women. Here's how they got it done. Learn Religions. Corbis/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images. The doctors diagnosis? 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. Thanks! 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. The devil had won. 1982)]. Proctor told them about the torture inflicted on the accused and asked that the trials be moved to Boston where he felt he would get a fair trial. Upon hearing about the Parris girls behavior, much of the Puritan community agreed that the duo had been victims of witchcraft. 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? 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. 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. I lasted edited this page on October 18, 2015. Eventually, after seeming to realize how unfair the trials were to the accused, the court refused to hear any more charges of witchcraft. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The ages of the accused ranged from 12 to 72 years old, with the average age being 41. These three women were social outcasts and easy targets for the accusation of witchcraft. 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. I was wondering if there was a written document or agreement signed that ended the trials. The Puritan way of life was strict, and even small differences in behavior made people suspicious. "5 Facts About the Salem Trials." 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. Europe's favorite test was the swimming test. The clergy later held a meeting, on August 1, to discuss the trials but were not able to help Proctor before his execution. 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/. Spanos and Gottlieb argue. Why do you think there are so little primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials? Tituba was known to have played fortune-telling games, which were strictly forbidden by the Puritans. One of them, George Burroughs, protested his innocence as the noose was readied. I need a bibliography for my class report. They accused other townspeople of torturing them, and a few of the so-called witches on trial even named others as witches. 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 leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. Id really like to see period sources for your assertion here. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca. The people had been so determined upon hunting out and destroying witches that they had neglected everything else. Heres what I got if someone needed to use this for their biblyography. It tells of a period of time where religious extremest of a good and pure faith massacred several of their own kind in demented and mad ways. "Maleus Maleficarum Part I.". Although I just found it, it has helped me with what I needed on my Salem Witch Trials report for History. Bettys alarmed father, the Reverend Parris, immediately called on a doctor to examine the girls. Next: Spooky Places: 10 Destinations For Fans Of Witches. Of course, remembering the events of 1692 can still act as a brake when contemporary events take a sinister downturn. Proctors wife managed to escape execution because she was pregnant, but Proctor was hanged on August 19 along with five other people. She was released from jail shortly after the hangings began, and was never tried or convicted. Then say they were wrong. The Salem witch trials, which resulted in several deaths in 1692 in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, have never been adequately explained. During her trial, Bishop repeatedly defended herself, stating I am innocent, I know nothing of it, I have done no witchcraft . While women were of course on the forefront of persecution, men could also be accused of witchcraft. One of them was shot but I dont know how the other one died. 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. A large proportion of the case against Bishop also focused on her lifestyle, especially her rumoured promiscuity and un-Puritan ways. Salem Witchcraft and Cotton Mather: A Reply. Many people lived in a constant state of fear, tension, and paranoia. The Salem witch trials began because a group of girls claimed they were possessed by the devil. Local clergymen began speaking out against the witch hunt and tried to persuade officials to stop the trials. https://www.learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897 (accessed March 5, 2023). In May, as the number of cases grew, Governor William Phips set up a special court, known as the Court of Oyer and Terminer (which translate to hear and determine) to hear the cases. It is voluminous and comes in paperback and hardcover. According to Plouffe, Jr., the trials were the largest of . During that time, 19 people were hanged and one person was pressed to death. When visiting Salem, there are so many entertaining shows that were inspired by the real-life tragedies that took place in this spooky town. Well, most of the people accused lived in the part of Salem Village that was full of businesses and shops. By pointing the finger at others, they were able to shift the blame and spare their own lives. Thank you for making this blog post! The trials are believed to have been the reason why the US constitution recognizes witchcraft as a legal religion. His diagnosis of bewitchment put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the hanging deaths of 19 men and women. Im trying to get my family to visit there- Id even give up my beach trip for it! The other two accused and arrested at the same time were Sarah Osborne and Tituba, the Parriss black slave. No way to fight its power. 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. 135, p. 112, No. We've rounded up some interesting facts about Salem so you can enjoy it from home this season. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The fact is, no accused witches were burned at the stake in Salem, Massachusetts. 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. Smithsonia, 8 Sept. 2013. OMG! Let me know if you are related to story too. The new court released those awaiting trial and pardoned those awaiting execution. Even Sarah Goods four-year-old daughter Dorothy was arrested and interrogated by the magistrates. These five women Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Wildes were the among the first to be tried and found guilty of witchcraft during a bleak nine-month period of New England history simply recalled as the Salem Witch Trials. The others were either found guilty but pardoned, found not guilty, were never indicted or simply evaded arrest or escaped from jail. In June of 1692, the special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) sat in Salem to hear the cases of witchcraft. "Reproducing Witchcraft: Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live". Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Ever since those dark days ended, the trials have become synonymous with mass hysteria and scapegoating. Tried and found guilty within the course of a single day, Bishop was hanged a week later on 10 June, the first execution of the trials. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal. It all began in 1692 and 1693 when Salem in the United States . The governor released the last few prisoners the following May. "The Salem Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History". Luckily ann putnum jr lived to apologize. Those who lived nearer to Salem Town engaged in commerce and were seen as a bit more worldly. 9, 17181718, Chap. They feared many innocent people were being executed. Heavy stones were loaded onto the board and the weight was gradually increased until the prison either entered a plea or died. The doctor was unable to find anything physically wrong with them and suggested they may be bewitched. The infamous Salem witch trials lasted for approximately one year.

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