facts about the salem witch trials
European Witch trials started at a similar time as Protestantism. The Salem Witch Trials were one of the best documented trials of colonial times. Arrest warrants were issued for George Jacobs Jr. and Daniel Andrews but they evaded arrest. Which brings us to. 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. More than 200 people were a.. Read the article free on Booksie. Native History & Indigenous Acknowledgement, The Journey from 1692 to Salems Modern Witch Community. The history (both good and bad) is something we should all know about. Wigington, Patti. A child pointed to a dog and said it bewitched me and shot the dog immediately. Salem Village began that slow decay which eventually erased its houses and walls, but never its name and memory.. How many people (male and female) were killed in the Trials? Ergot is a fungus found in bread, and has the same effect as hallucinogenic drugs. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom were executed by hanging (14 women and five men). Hoffer, Peter Charles. It will be very easy. 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. Not many people fled Salem, only a handful did, because Salem was their home and had been for a long time. I mean the whole cause was a wheat bacteria/fungi called ergot. 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. Nineteen were hanged, and oneelderly Giles Coreypressed to death. 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. Shortly after Sir William Phips appointment as Governor, he was forced to establish a court to deal with those who had been locked up in jail and were awaiting trial. It is called Records of the Salem Witch Hunt and is edited by Bernard Rosenthal. The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of 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. 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. Europe's favorite test was the swimming test. Rebecca is a freelance journalist and history lover who got her start in journalism working for small-town newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire after she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. By the end of the trials in 1693, 24 people had died, some in jail but most by hanging. In 1813, the wooden structure of the jail was remodeled into a Victorian home and in 1956 the home was razed. 1. The heat was stifling on a July day in 1692, as five dishevelled and bound women are paraded on a wooden cart through the streets of Salem village in the colony of Massachusetts Bay. The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between early 1692 and mid-1693. In January of 2016, the site where the Salem Witch Trials hangings took place was officially identified as Proctors Ledge, which is a small wooded area in between Proctor Street and Pope Street in Salem. Abigail Williams: The Mysterious Afflicted Girl. 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. "Maleus Maleficarum Part I.". 135, no. What source other than A Story of Witchcraft would you recommend to look up more information about the trials? Device reportedly admitted an act of bewitchment, as well as accusing another woman of undertaking similar practices. Keeping to yourself and minding your own business seemed suspicious. 5 Facts About the Salem Trials. The punishment was hanging. 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. Wow. Do you know if their are any reports from some of the people in the villiage? On October 29, Phips dismissed the Court of Oyer and Terminer. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Salem Village was populated mostly by poor farmers, and Salem Town was a prosperous port full of middle-class and wealthy merchants. Heinrich Kramer wrote a whole book on why witches should be all exterminated and how to do that. 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. 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. Good had been among the first local women to be arrested, after several young girls from the village had experienced mysterious afflictions the previous February. I see that you told someone quite a while ago but I dont think that is up to date. They screamed, made unearthly sounds, suffered convulsions and violently threw objects, and themselves, around their homes. There were all kinds of tests to determine whether a woman was a witch. These sources include official court records as well as several books, diaries and letters written by the various people involved in the trials. . Im going to put a note at the bottom of the article that says when it was last updated to make it easier for anyone doing reports and assignments. All witches are women, but not every woman is a witch. im doing a huge assessment in my language arts class called national history day and i love how into detail this went! The primary sources of the Salem Witch Trials offer a wealth of information on these infamous trials. Its good to see that the court system has progressed. Get 6 issues for 19.99 and receive a 10 gift card* PLUS free access to HistoryExtra.com, Save 70% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $49.99 + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com. Thanks! Im trying to get my family to visit there- Id even give up my beach trip for it! The preacher sad they could not kill the devil by shooting the dog but did anyway. I am no more a witch than you are a wizard. Learn Religions, Sep. 9, 2021, learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897. 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. She was released from jail shortly after the hangings began, and was never tried or convicted. 82 (Boston: Wright and Potter, 1902), pp. How twisted is that? I think it is easy to underestimate the importance of James IIs creation of the Dominion of New England. In short, Spanos and Gottlieb believe that the ergotism theory is off-base for several reasons. Hysteria was from little girls facin threat of death by torture. 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? He was later exonerated. Note: it is expensive. In June of 1692, the special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) sat in Salem to hear the cases of witchcraft. If they drowned, they were considered innocent. 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. 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. I could use this for classroom use. I am as innocent as the child unborn. The Salem Witch Trials. Bad weather isn't the only reason why the witch hype began. Related: The 10 Best Witch Things To Do In Salem. When the first accusations of witchcraft began in Salem Village, they initially targeted women. Tituba was known to have played fortune-telling games, which were strictly forbidden by the Puritans. It was viewed as a sin against God, the church, and the Crown, and thus was treated as a crime. Cant wait to visit this place! Is there any credence to this theory? Did the Putnams purchase any of the land from those who were accused and killed? 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. In January 1692 Salem Village was dealing with a lot. This was a dark time but it is good to see the court system advance. 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. One freezing day in January of 1692, something strange happened inside the Parris household of Salem Village, Massachusetts. Encyclopdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them. Curious to know the Publisher of this article. English law at the time dictated that anyone who refused to enter a plea could be tortured in an attempt to force a plea out of them. The other two accused women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne, werent well liked by the community either. Essex County Court Archives, vol. Went to the library to look for my family history but came across my friends families name. in journalism. I 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. 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. Witch hunts Kisses and xoxo I want to use this for my bibliograohy, Same but I cant find it. If you want to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials, check out this article on the best Salem Witch Trials books. "Examination and Evidence of Some the Accused Witches in Salem, 1692. 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. See, the concept of fake news is nothing new. 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. 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. And, of course, theres the theory that it was all down to good old fashioned spite. 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. The Salem witch trials began because a group of girls claimed they were possessed by the devil. Bishop had been accused of witchcraft years before but was cleared of the crime. They were during the Colonial times. The hysterical behaviour was an unconscious outlet for rebellion, a release valve for the pressure that the threat of eternal damnation put them under. 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. A 1976 study, printed in the journal Science, attributed the girls hysterical and possibly hallucinogenic behaviour to the ingestion of rye bread made with grain infected with ergot of rye. Another five were executed exactly a month later on 19 August, four of whom were men. On December 17, 1697, Governor Stoughton issued a proclamation in hopes of making amends with God. The Salem witch trials started with two girls having unexplainable fits. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Does that mean they couldnt have been practicing witchcraft? Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. Getting the right to vote didn't come easy for women. One of the greatest tragedies of the Salem Witch Trials was the concept of the familiars. Let me know if you are related to story too. They accused other townspeople of torturing them, and a few of the so-called witches on trial even named others as witches. Meanwhile, those who lived further away clung to their rigid Puritan values. 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. This is basically what got me an A on my history fair assignment, I appreciate all the time and effort put into writing this! Its entirely possible that much of the blame placed upon Tituba during the trials was based on her racial and social class. Thanks for sharing, it really helped me with an article I am currently writing! 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. A large brick building now stands on this spot with a memorial plaque dedicated to the old jail. Get ready to pull out your history books as we bring you the most DISTURBING facts about the Salem Witch Trials. The slave Tituba, because of her background in the Caribbean (or possibly the West Indies), could have practiced some form of folk magic, but that has never been confirmed. More than 200 people were accused. When James II, unspeakably Catholic, became the titular head of the Church of England (itself considered evil), it was proof that the mother country had come under diabolical control When James II created the Dominion of New England, ordering the New England theocracy to allow the C of E inside, it was the end of their holy mission in the wilderness. 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. Not that the prosecutions were concluded even then. 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. Questions VII & XI. In Germany alone, thousands of women died horrible deaths. The Salem Witch Trials were not a positive section of American history but have been used as a learning tool for the United States. The persecutors had to come up with a whole irrational legal system in order to justify this insanity. The mayhem all started in 1692, when two cousins aged nine and 11 began experiencing delusions, strange fits, and other mysterious maladies. 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?? 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. I was wondering if there was a written document or agreement signed that ended the trials. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Thank you so much, this was also, by far, the best site ive come across for salem trials. The new court released those awaiting trial and pardoned those awaiting execution. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The day of prayer and fasting was held on January 15, 1698, and was known as the Day of Official Humiliation. Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. Awesome Article. The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology. Through the loss of 20 lives, the episode continues to warn of the dangers of insularity and isolationism, of intolerance, of religious extremism. Nor can we esteem alterations made in the sufferers, by a look or touch of the accused, to be an infallible evidence of guilt, but frequently liable to be abused by the Devil's legerdemains. By pointing the finger at others, they were able to shift the blame and spare their own lives. Learn all about the origin, history, and significance of the Salem witch trials. As chief justice, Stoughton believed that spectral evidence presented to the court that is, evidence gathered from dreams and visions would form a central plank of the prosecutions. Bettys alarmed father, the Reverend Parris, immediately called on a doctor to examine the girls. Proctors wife managed to escape execution because she was pregnant, but Proctor was hanged on August 19 along with five other people. There is actually a compilation of all of the primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials. 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. Afflicted Girls:Elizabeth BoothElizabeth HubbardMercy LewisBetty ParrisAnn Putnam, Jr.Susannah SheldonAbigail WilliamsMary WalcottMary Warren. Here's how they got it done. Crown Publishers Inc., 1959. Thanks so much! 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. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFRobinson2001 (. Thank you for the kind comments. 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? A secondary source would be a book, journal or article written long after the event by someone who didnt experience it first hand. 1, pp. The hysteria gripping Salem a settlement resonating with the incessant sound of accusation and counteraccusation showed that no-one was exempt from suspicion. I have countless ancestors out of Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of my grandmothers was Martha Carrier. I really enjoy reading your blog! According to Plouffe, Jr., the trials were the largest of . My fathers family have lived in this area for centuries. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, and the event still haunts us today. As if the lonely and misunderstood didn't have a hard enough life on its own, they seemed the most suspicious to the crowds. The girls accusation was that Good had performed witchcraft on them. The 52 remaining people in jail were tried in a new court, the Superior Court of Judicature, the following winter. Hopkins crusade was at its most virulent between 1644 and 1646. The Examination of Bridget Bishop, April 19, 1692. The Superior Court of Judicature, formed to replace the witchcraft court, did not allow spectral evidence. Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.Crewe, Sabrina and Michael V. Uschan. Salem Witch Trials Mass hysteria, social ignorance, and religious intolerance all describe the chaos that took place in Massachusetts during the year 1692. The three women were thrown in jail to await trial for practicing witchcraft. Or maybe it was the 1711 bill that cleared the names of the accused witches. 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. Thank you for making this blog post! In seventeenth-century New England, pretty much everyone was practicing some form of Christianity. 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. Between 1647 and 1688, 12 women had been sentenced to death for making covenants with the devil. 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). 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. Farms were mortgaged or sold, first to pay prison fees, then to pay taxes; frequently they were abandoned. When the first inquiry is made into the circumstances of such as may lie under the just suspicion of witchcrafts, we could wish that there may be admitted as little as is possible of such noise, company and openness as may too hastily expose them that are examined, and that there may no thing be used as a test for the trial of the suspected, the lawfulness whereof may be doubted among the people of God; but that the directions given by such judicious writers as Perkins and Bernard [be consulted in such a case].
