facts about the salem witch trials

Montague Summer. Titubas confession was the trigger that sparked the mass hysteria and the hunt for more witches in Salem. A large brick building now stands on this spot with a memorial plaque dedicated to the old jail. The Salem witch trials began because a group of girls claimed they were possessed by the devil. Native Americans and other religions represented threats by the Devil. The parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and more modem examples ofwitch huntinglike the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, are remarkable. Im just going to use Smithsonian, ARe you the editor/author of this site @Rebecca Beatrice Brooks, Hi Gigi, yes Im the editor/author of this site, thanks so much I needed that for my homework, Where can I get a copy of the Salem 1692 map that you posted? Dr. John Lienhard of the University of Houston writes in Rye, Ergot and Witches about Mary Matossians 1982 study which supports Caporaels findings. The Salem Village hangings were the last executions of accused witches in the United States. When visiting Salem, there are so many entertaining shows that were inspired by the real-life tragedies that took place in this spooky town. Boston, MA. A secondary source would be a book, journal or article written long after the event by someone who didnt experience it first hand. Every March, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of women as part of Womens History Month. Between 1692 and 1693, more than two hundred people were accused. 126. While many modern-day Pagans cite the Salem trials as an example of religious intolerance, at the time, witchcraft was not seen as a religion at all. Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In January 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. Find out what started the witch hunt of 1692. Most of the eyewitness accounts can be found in the court records and the books written by the ministers involved in the trials. The Salem Witch Trials: Facts & History. The Salem Witch Trials: Facts & History. 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". "The Salem Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History". Good luck! 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. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. Sources:Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft: With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft. 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. One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death after refusing to enter a plea, and at least five people . Many people lived in a constant state of fear, tension, and paranoia. 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. A flurry of accusations from girls with afflictions similar to those of Betty Parris and Abigail Williams resulted in an avalanche of arrests and prosecutions. Her initial verdict was, in fact, not guilty, but upon hearing the verdict the afflicted girls began to have fits in the courtroom. Salem witch trials. Legal Legacy of 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. In Germany alone, thousands of women died horrible deaths. The hysteria gripping Salem a settlement resonating with the incessant sound of accusation and counteraccusation showed that no-one was exempt from suspicion. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. 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. They screamed, made unearthly sounds, suffered convulsions and violently threw objects, and themselves, around their homes. The day of prayer and fasting was held on January 15, 1698, and was known as the Day of Official Humiliation. I was wondering if there was a written document or agreement signed that ended the trials. The persecutors had to come up with a whole irrational legal system in order to justify this insanity. The Salem witch trials were a series of prosecutions in which over 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. 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. Seemed like there was alot of hate towards one another just for being different. When was this last edited? This is really great. The Salem Witch Trials and Ergot: Mushroom Madness? The Salem Witch Trials Victims: Who Were They? Women were not the only ones believed to be witchesmen and children were accused too. That darn Satan fooled them good. 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. 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. hope you in joy it was really helpful to my students and i, Thankyou this helpedme a lot for my 3 page essay in english 11 class. 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. 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. The court didnt believe them, and found all three women guilty of practicing witchcraft. Wigington, Patti. The first of the girls to start experiencing symptoms was Betty Parris, followed by Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam Jr., Mary Walcott and Mercy Lewis. This illustration shows him speaking at Witches Hill, the site of his execution. This was a special type of court in English law established specifically to hear cases that are extraordinary and serious in nature. 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. What is the legacy of the Salem witch trials? Massachusetts Archives, Vol. It makes me sad sometimes writing about it. Planting, cultivating, the care of houses, barns, roads, fences, were all forgotten. Essex County Court Archives, vol. 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. If people were to run away from it, theyll only be hunted down and thats worst then sitting in court. Meanwhile, those who lived further away clung to their rigid Puritan values. TDR / The Drama Review, 2018, Vol. You can unsubscribe at any time. The Salem witch trials, which resulted in several deaths in 1692 in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, have never been adequately explained. 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. I really enjoy reading your blog! 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. I sincerely cant thank you enough! Arrest warrants were issued for George Jacobs Jr. and Daniel Andrews but they evaded arrest. Other victims include two dogs who were shot or killed after being suspected of witchcraft. 1 Most of the accused were women but men were accusedand executedtoo. Susannah Martin was my 10th great grandmother and John Proctor was my 11th great uncle. The 17th century Salem has nothing on witch hunts that went down in Europe. PDF What Were The Salem Witch Trials - Cpanel.gestudy.byu.edu 136, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA. The first witch trial occurred because the daughter (Betty Parris) and niece (Abigail Williams) of the local Salem Reverend had become violently ill. They basically played the trump card of the times. The eight-point response, penned by Cotton Mather, advised prudence when it came to procedure, cautioning that hastiness shouldnt overwhelm lawfulness. Thank you so much for this! The following are some facts about the Salem Witch Trials: The Salem Witch Trials were a series of witchcraft cases brought before local magistrates in a settlement called Salem which was a part of the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 17th century. Another interesting fact about the witch trials is not everyone in Salem actually believed in witchcraft or supported the 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. Church was all powerful in those days. The Puritan way of life was strict, and even small differences in behavior made people suspicious. Its pretty hard to show any sort of concrete, tangible evidence that someone is in league with the Devil or fiddling around with spirits. On July 23, John Proctor wrote to the clergy in Boston. Thank you, using this as a source! This was no more notable than when playwright Arthur Miller chose to dramatise the trials in his 1953 play The Crucible. It is voluminous and comes in paperback and hardcover. 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. what was the ratio of men to women. 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. 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. Thanks for sharing, it really helped me with an article I am currently writing! Great post, this helped a lot with my Witch Trials report for history class! https://www.learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897 (accessed March 5, 2023). 42 Wicked Facts About the Salem Witch Trials - factinate.com The ages of the accused ranged from 12 to 72 years old, with the average age being 41. Proctors entire family was accused, including all of his children, his pregnant wife Elizabeth, and sister-in-law. Not many people fled Salem, only a handful did, because Salem was their home and had been for a long time. This is like the only website i found most helpful on Salem Witch Trial. I hope ill get the chance to read it some day! 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. 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. 10 Interesting Facts about the Salem Witch Trials & Salem, Massachusetts The preacher sad they could not kill the devil by shooting the dog but did anyway. The Salem Witch Trials are a dark stain on American history and on the history of Christianity. Rebecca, how long did this take you? 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. Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. The governor released the last few prisoners the following May. 121, p. 108. Then they even do a greater injustice by not only torturing folks in prison but hanging 19 of them and then putting rocks on a 71 year old man until he died because he would not state he was guilty or innocent (some old English law if accused refused to make a plea). Wicked Facts About the Salem Witch Trials - Factinate It also helped with my reading assignment. The Salem Witch Trials. The Story of the Salem Witch Trials is a history of that event.

Shawn Godwin Tennessee, Articles F