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. The Salem witch trials marked a seven-month period of mass hysteria in 1692 Colonial America. Kisses and xoxo 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. This court consisted of eight judges. Puritans walk through the snow-covered woods to get to church. It makes me sad sometimes writing about it. Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. 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. To identify witches, authorities used the "touching test", in which victims of witchcraft would become calm upon touching the culprit. While Puritanism in New England demanded rigidly defined behaviour (hymns were the only permissible music, while childrens toys were outlawed), the colonys geographical isolation increased the insularity of these communities. Most of the eyewitness accounts can be found in the court records and the books written by the ministers involved in 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. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. 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. The girls accusation was that Good had performed witchcraft on them. Church was all powerful in those days. (1977). The Salem Witch Trials. I need to make a bibliography for my English report. "Maleus Maleficarum Part I.". 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. 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. 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. 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. And particularly, as I was a chief instrument of accusing of Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust, and to be humbled for it, in that I was a cause, with others, of so sad a calamity to them and their families; for which cause I desire to lie in the dust, and earnestly beg forgiveness of God, and from all those unto whom I have given just cause of sorrow and offence, whose relations were taken away or accused.. The theory first came to prominence in the 1970s, when Linnda R. Caporael wrote Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem? Thank you for the kind comments. The three women were thrown in jail to await trial for practicing witchcraft. 6 The Role Of Religion In Witch Trials As if the lonely and misunderstood didn't have a hard enough life on its own, they seemed the most suspicious to the crowds. Hopkins crusade was at its most virulent between 1644 and 1646. An Account of the Life, Character, & C., of the Rev. To understand the events of theSalem Witch Trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. I have countless ancestors out of Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of my grandmothers was Martha Carrier. in journalism. 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. PDF What Were The Salem Witch Trials - Cpanel.gestudy.byu.edu In CT, a push to exonerate people hanged in state's witch trials Ancestry is the easiest way. It was not difficult for the people of Salem to believe they were involved in witchcraft. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. Here are 10 facts about the witch trials that will surely send chills down your spine. This was no more notable than when playwright Arthur Miller chose to dramatise the trials in his 1953 play The Crucible. Salem was ruled by English law at the time, which only allowed death by burning to be used against men who committed high treason and only after they had been hanged, quartered and drawn. 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. Seven more died in jail. I see that you told someone quite a while ago but I dont think that is up to date. 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. On October 29, Phips dismissed the Court of Oyer and Terminer. Due to overcrowding in the jails, the accused witches were kept in multiple jails in Salem town, Ipswich and Boston. 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 Story of the Salem Witch Trials is a history of that event. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The first to be tried wasBridget Bishopof Salem who was found guilty and was hanged on June 10. I needed this a lot but was having trouble with it. 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. thank u. Women were not the only ones believed to be witchesmen and children were accused too. Thanks! The indictments then came thick and fast. Kinda sad after reading everything. 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. 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. Robbins, Rossell Hope. Corbis/VCG via Getty Images / Getty Images. 15 Dark Truths You Didn't Know About The Salem Witch Trials. propably in like 1-3 weeks away. Hi Julanii, I am the writer and publisher of this article. An elderly woman accused of witchcraft is taken to the courthouse by an officer of the law. Hope that helps with your bibliography. One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death after refusing to enter a plea, and at least five people . Native History & Indigenous Acknowledgement, The Journey from 1692 to Salems Modern Witch Community. Three days earlier, the death of another of the accused had occurred. Where did theses trials take place were there anymore places then Massachusetts Bay. It is pretty sad. No one in America has ever been put to death this way. More than 200 people were accused. They basically played the trump card of the times. I want to use this for my bibliograohy, Same but I cant find it. The Untold Story of the Salem Witch Trials #shorts #history it was extremely helpful thank you so much! (2021, September 9). 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. Salem Witch Trials Top Facts | Go City The following are some facts about the Salem Witch Trials: This really helped with my homework on the salem witch trials cause soon we are going to do an essay on this very soon. One person was pressed to death, and over 150 others were jailed, where still others died. This created a rift between the two groups in Salem Village. In 1813, the wooden structure of the jail was remodeled into a Victorian home and in 1956 the home was razed. In Salem, they actually didn't do any burning at all. Find out what started the witch hunt of 1692. The Examination of Sarah Good, March 1, 1692. 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. Many of the accusers were adults and more than a few of them were people who had themselves been accused. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It will be very easy. If people were to run away from it, theyll only be hunted down and thats worst then sitting in court. Corey was accused of witchcraft in April during his wifes examination. Salem Witch Trial Facts - Learn Religions The two communities were three hours apart, by foot, which was the most common method of transportation at the time. 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. On December 17, 1697, Governor Stoughton issued a proclamation in hopes of making amends with God. Everything we know now about the trials comes from just a handful of primary sources of the Salem Witch Trials. i would like to know more about the salem witch trials. Europe, on the other hand, was super into dramatic flames. Twenty people were put to death in Salem for the crime of witchcraft. 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. Susannah Martin was my 10th great grandmother and John Proctor was my 11th great uncle. 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. 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. Thanks! Rebecca Nurses execution was a pivotal moment in the Salem Witch Trials. They were part of a long story of witch hunts that began in Europe in the 14th century. "Essay IV Against modern Sadducism in the matter of Witches and Apparitions" in Essay on several important subjects in philosophy and religion, 2nd Ed, London; printed for John Baker and H. Mortlock, 1676, pp. In January 1692 Salem Village was dealing with a lot. Then after said the dog died so it must have been innocent. Seemed like there was alot of hate towards one another just for being different. Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.Crewe, Sabrina and Michael V. Uschan. Cotton Mather and the Salem Witch Trials - The History Junkie Local clergymen began speaking out against the witch hunt and tried to persuade officials to stop the trials. Salem Witch Trials: Primary Sources - History Of Massachusetts Blog 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? Is there any credence to this theory? There were no clear-cut rules besides that: either they were after women for being single, having too many friends, no friends or being too poor. Mather saw the war against Satan as being just as important as the war against the French and the local Native American tribes. The hysteria gripping Salem a settlement resonating with the incessant sound of accusation and counteraccusation showed that no-one was exempt from suspicion. Although many of the other accused women were unpopular social outcasts, Nurse was a pious, well-respected and well-loved member of the community. Children were also accused of witchcraft. I need to do a bibliography, and I have this page on it. The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology. Well, most of the people accused lived in the part of Salem Village that was full of businesses and shops. Rebecca, how long did this take you? The Salem Witch Trials: Facts & History. The Salem Witch Trials: Facts & History. Heinrich Kramer wrote a whole book on why witches should be all exterminated and how to do that. Salem Witch Trials from William A. Crafts Did the people really believe in witches? im doing a huge assessment in my language arts class called national history day and i love how into detail this went! This is like the only website i found most helpful on Salem Witch Trial. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, and the event still haunts us today. 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. Despite its power as a cautionary tale, Salem remains an enigma that continues to fascinate and beguile more than three centuries later. A Reply. Also I was curious to know what the specific compromise was. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693.