facts about the salem witch trials

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. His diagnosis of bewitchment put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the hanging deaths of 19 men and women. The doctors diagnosis? Preston, VK. We've rounded up some interesting facts about Salem so you can enjoy it from home this season. Ultimately, eight women and two men were tried and found guilty of attending the gathering. The devil had won. These women were Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn and a slave named Tituba who worked for Reverend Samuel Parris. The infamous Salem witch trials lasted for approximately one year. Thats where spectral evidence comes in, and it played a significant role in the Salem trials. Do you have a version number for this site? I guarantee Im not related to any putnum. The girls were having a type of epileptic fit and would scream out . Anja Grar is a writer, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Luckily ann putnum jr lived to apologize. During that time, 19 people were hanged and one person was pressed to death. Where did theses trials take place were there anymore places then Massachusetts Bay. The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between early 1692 and mid-1693. Salem Village was populated mostly by poor farmers, and Salem Town was a prosperous port full of middle-class and wealthy merchants. Im trying to get my family to visit there- Id even give up my beach trip for it! Many of the accusers were adults and more than a few of them were people who had themselves been accused. Rebecca, how long did this take you? Bernard Rosenthal, "Medievalism and the Salem Witch Trials," in: Protests against early modern witch trials, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Cultural depictions of the Salem witch trials, Medical and psychological explanations of bewitchment, List of wrongful convictions in the United States, "Six Victims of 1692 Salem Witch Trials "Cleared" by Massachusetts", "Massachusetts Clears 5 From Salem Witch Trials", "Salem may pardon accused witches of 1692", "On 325th anniversary, city dedicates Proctor's Ledge memorial to Salem Witch Trials victims", "Memorable Providence, Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions", "Examination of Dorothy Good, As Told by Deodat Lawson", "Religiosity and the political economy of the Salem witch trials", Virginia.edu Salem witch trials (archives), "Massachusetts Archives: Superior Court of Judicature Witchcraft Trials (JanuaryMay 1693), Cases Heard". During Titubas examination, she made a shocking confession that she had been approached by Satan, along with Sarah Good and Sarah Osburn, and they had all agreed to do his bidding as witches. In 1688, New England revolted and deposed the government of the Dominion of New England, and sent a representative back to London to report it, only to find that Parliament had deposed James II, and replaced him with William and Mary. While the Salem of today is a thriving metropolitan area, in 1692 it was a remote settlement on the edge of the frontier. In seventeenth-century New England, pretty much everyone was practicing some form of Christianity. The Story of the Salem Witch Trials - Bryan F. Le Beau 2016-05-23 Between June 10 and September 22, 1692, nineteen people were hanged for practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. I mean the whole cause was a wheat bacteria/fungi called ergot. Historians and sociologists have examined this most complex episode in our history so that we may understand the issues of that era and view subsequent events with heightened awareness. In additionone man was pressed to death; several others died in prison, and the lives of many were irrevocably changed. This is like the only website i found most helpful on Salem Witch Trial. In pre-echoes of what would later occur in Salem, panic took hold of the local community, with accusations flying in all directions. The Salem witch trials of the late 17th century were a formative episode in America's early history, and have remained at the forefront of the national consciousness ever since. European Witch trials started at a similar time as Protestantism. Some (incredibly mean) people devoted their time to making a science out of witchcraft. No one cared about minorities or "loners" anyway. 9 Men Also Died During The Trials Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. 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. . For everyone who remains intrigued by Salem, here are a few lesser-known facts about the witchcraft trials. 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. in journalism. 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. Robbins, Rossell Hope. The eight-point response, penned by Cotton Mather, advised prudence when it came to procedure, cautioning that hastiness shouldnt overwhelm lawfulness. Although I just found it, it has helped me with what I needed on my Salem Witch Trials report for History. 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. The Salem witch trials started with two girls having unexplainable fits. 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. After Nurses execution on July 19th, the residents of Salem started to seriously question the validity of the trials. The 17th century Salem has nothing on witch hunts that went down in Europe. Puritans walk through the snow-covered woods to get to church. Thank-you for the great info you have shared. 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?? Even poor animals were not safe and they could actually get accused and executed as well. My fathers family have lived in this area for centuries. Sarah Wildes was my 8th great grandmother. The first case brought before the grand jury was that of Bridget Bishop, a woman around the age of 60 who faced a plethora of accusations: that she could pass through doors and windows without opening them; that she had made holes in the road suddenly open up, into which carts would fall before the holes would instantly disappear; that she had summoned a black pig with the body of a monkey and the feet of a cockerel. Often, that conversation shifts over towardsSalem, Massachusetts, and the famous trial in 1692that resulted in twenty executions. 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. 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. Thanks! They were part of a long story of witch hunts that began in Europe in the 14th century. what was the ratio of men to women. I find this to be very well put and want to read more. No more restricting property ownership and voting rights to only church members. 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. They screamed, made unearthly sounds, suffered convulsions and violently threw objects, and themselves, around their homes. While sympathy, and certainly empathy, are always good things to have, its also important that we dont let emotions color the facts. 31. To understand the events of theSalem Witch Trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. A Reply. Just pay for a month and go nuts adding records to a tree. I could use this for classroom use. As sleet and snow heaped higher outside their door, Betty Parris and. Thank for the site it is so helpful for my project! 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. Massachusetts Only Apologized in 1957 Salem Witch Trials have haunted Salem, now known as Danvers and the entire state of Massachusetts for centuries. 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. Sources:Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft: With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft. https://www.learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897 (accessed March 5, 2023). 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. The Salem Witch Trials were one of the best documented trials of colonial times. To complicate matters further, within Salem Village itself, there were two separate social groups. Note: it is expensive. The two communities were three hours apart, by foot, which was the most common method of transportation at the time. The Examination of Sarah Good, March 1, 1692. 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. Those who were found guilty were pardoned by Governor Phips. In short, Spanos and Gottlieb believe that the ergotism theory is off-base for several reasons. 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/. It is called Records of the Salem Witch Hunt and is edited by Bernard Rosenthal. The first to be tried wasBridget Bishopof Salem who was found guilty and was hanged on June 10. The Salem Witch Trials. 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. Dr Griggs was a relative through my grandmother. 135, no. Shortly after, two of the girls named the women they believed were bewitching them. The Salem witch trials, which resulted in several deaths in 1692 in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, have never been adequately explained. I hope ill get the chance to read it some day! Chapter 145 of the resolves of 1957, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. During her trial, Bishop repeatedly defended herself, stating I am innocent, I know nothing of it, I have done no witchcraft . 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. 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. These three women were social outcasts and easy targets for the accusation of witchcraft. Crown Publishers Inc., 1959. Web. It's unlikely that anyone in Salem was actually practicing witchcraftmost of the community consisted of devout and pious Christians. All rights reserved. Native Americans and other religions represented threats by the Devil. . The Witchcraft of Salem Village. what is a secondary source in this salem witch trail! Its good to see that the court system has progressed. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. Also, when was his last updated? 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. 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. For years, Salem Village tried to separate itself politically from Salem Town. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. http://www.easybib.com/cite/view. As the weeks passed, other young girls claimed to have been infected by witchcraft too. Lienhard says, In recent years, though, the ergot theory has been questioned. 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. thank u. A large brick building now stands on this spot with a memorial plaque dedicated to the old jail. 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. 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. Alden was accused of witchcraft by a child during a trip to Salem while he was on his way home to Boston from Canada. Some of these women were actually witches, though they were entirely innocent of the crimes of which they were convicted. 618619. Learn all about the origin, history, and significance of the Salem witch trials. More than 200 people were a.. Read the article free on Booksie. 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. When Nurse was first arrested, many members of the community signed a petition asking for her release. The Salem Witch Trials occurred in the settlement of Salem in colonial Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693, and resulted in the executions of twenty people accused of witchcraft, most of them women. In effect, theSalem Witch Trialswere over. Despite its power as a cautionary tale, Salem remains an enigma that continues to fascinate and beguile more than three centuries later. Rebecca Nurses execution was a pivotal moment in the Salem Witch Trials. Thank you, using this as a source! Most of the accusers were Puritans who lived on the farms. "The Salem Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History". Children were also accused of witchcraft. 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. Hi Indigo, Im assuming you mean eyewitness accounts. since we stared this topic in my 11th grade ap english class i have been very intregted. (2021, September 9). The day of prayer and fasting was held on January 15, 1698, and was known as the Day of Official Humiliation. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. I think that maybe they thought they were bewitched. Why do you think there are so little primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials? This court consisted of eight judges. Presided over by William Stoughton . 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. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, and the event still haunts us today. The other two accused and arrested at the same time were Sarah Osborne and Tituba, the Parriss black slave. 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. 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. Salem witch trials. It also helped with my reading assignment. This, coupled with the fact that the accused also had their estates confiscated if they were convicted has led many historians to believe that religious feuds and property disputes played a big part in the witch trials. The leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. The court didnt believe them, and found all three women guilty of practicing witchcraft. Are there any other theories as to what may have caused the girls strange behavior? An illustration shows a quiet street in the center of Salem, Massachusetts. 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. Find out what started the witch hunt of 1692. Got the movie and became more interested in what really happened. And, of course, theres the theory that it was all down to good old fashioned spite. By the end of the trials in 1693, 24 people had died, some in jail but most by hanging. This article was last updated on Nov 22, 2015. Boyer, P., & Nissenbaum, S. Getting the right to vote didn't come easy for women. The Salem witch trials of the late 17th century were a formative episode in America's early history, and have remained at the forefront of the national consciousness ever since. 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. The torture consisted of laying the prisoner on the ground, naked, with a board placed on top of him. Essex County Court Archives, vol. Im using this for my History project. Now I know it is not only there that it existed. Which brings us to. (University of Kansas, 1997). Not many people fled Salem, only a handful did, because Salem was their home and had been for a long time. 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. TDR / The Drama Review, 2018, Vol. This really helped me on my essay, thank you so much. Device reportedly admitted an act of bewitchment, as well as accusing another woman of undertaking similar practices. I think it is easy to underestimate the importance of James IIs creation of the Dominion of New England. After Bishops execution and the courts endorsement of the indictments against Rebecca Nurse and John Willard, a local constable who, doubting the allegations, refused to bring the accused to court the grand jury adjourned for almost three weeks. Corey was accused of witchcraft in April during his wifes examination. In 1706, afflicted girl Ann Putnam, Jr., also issued a public apology for her role in the Salem Witch Trials, particularly in the case against her neighbor Rebecca Nurse. The ages of the accused ranged from 12 to 72 years old, with the average age being 41. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. The new court was presided over by William Stoughton, Thomas Danforth, John Richards, Waitstill Winthrop and Samuel Sewall. Related: 10 Scary Churches From Around The World That Will Creep You Out. Also I was curious to know what the specific compromise was. Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. Keeping to yourself and minding your own business seemed suspicious. Went to the library to look for my family history but came across my friends families name. Dr. John Lienhard of the University of Houston writes in Rye, Ergot and Witches about Mary Matossians 1982 study which supports Caporaels findings. The people had been so determined upon hunting out and destroying witches that they had neglected everything else. Often, in movies and television and books, the accusers in the Salem trials are portrayed as angsty teenage girls, but thats not completely true. Published in 1992, this novel is a fictionalized account of the afflicted girls of Salem Village. This was a dark time but it is good to see the court system advance. 14 (in the history 201 course-pack compiled by S. McSheffrey & T. McCormick), Trans. Nige Tassell is a freelance journalist specialising in history, This content first appeared in the January 2016 issue of BBC History Revealed, Save up to 49% AND your choice of gift card worth 10* when you subscribe BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed PLUS! One of them, George Burroughs, protested his innocence as the noose was readied. As the innocent women approached the gallows, in the last moments of their lives, they continued to protest their innocence. Porters never forgot about this n intermarried with many of the families afterwards. 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. my question for the project was what was the history of the salem witch trials. Other diagnoses have focused more on the mental wellbeing of the Salem girls. Most of the eyewitness accounts can be found in the court records and the books written by the ministers involved in the trials. i would like to know more about the salem witch trials. An Account of the Life, Character, & C., of the Rev. What was this witchery actually about and how did it all start? They accused other townspeople of torturing them, and a few of the so-called witches on trial even named others as witches. I want to use this for my bibliograohy, Same but I cant find it. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Judge Stoughton asked the jury to reconsider their verdict. I find the history interesting and would like to find more information on this matter. Is there any credence to this theory? The 52 remaining people in jail were tried in a new court, the Superior Court of Judicature, the following winter. 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. Its entirely possible that much of the blame placed upon Tituba during the trials was based on her racial and social class. 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. The doctor was unable to find anything physically wrong with them and suggested they may be bewitched. There are many theories that explain why the witch trials began in Medieval Europe. 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. this helped me sooo much. As years passed, apologies were offered and restitution was made to the victims families. These spirits could inhabit any human or any creature. it was extremely helpful thank you so much! 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. Thank you so much for this! 126. 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. 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. In January 1692 Salem Village was dealing with a lot. 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. On July 23, John Proctor wrote to the clergy in Boston. This really helped with my homework on the salem witch trials cause soon we are going to do an essay on this very soon. The Trials Salem had become a hotbed for accusations of witchcraft. and good job rebbeca! Afflicted Girls:Elizabeth BoothElizabeth HubbardMercy LewisBetty ParrisAnn Putnam, Jr.Susannah SheldonAbigail WilliamsMary WalcottMary Warren. The parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and more modem examples ofwitch huntinglike the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, are remarkable. 62, No. InJanuary of 1692, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village became ill.William Griggs, the village doctor, was called in when they failed to improve.

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