When she is not traveling, you will find her reading, drinking coffee and chatting away with her many international friends. During that time, 19 people were hanged and one person was pressed to death. In short, Spanos and Gottlieb believe that the ergotism theory is off-base for several reasons. Hi Julanii, I am the writer and publisher of this article. They basically played the trump card of the times. The other two accused women, Sarah Good and Sarah Osbourne, werent well liked by the community either. Native Americans and other religions represented threats by the Devil. The Salem Witch Trials were one of the best documented trials of colonial times. All witches are women, but not every woman is a witch. The political instability and threat to their religion created a feeling of uneasiness and discontent in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Psychosomatic disorders have been suggested as the root of the hysteria, most notably the societal strains placed on them in a strict, deeply religious adult world that made no contingency for the developmental needs of children. Its a common myth that the Salem Witch Trials victims were burned at the stake. They were soft, obvious targets for a mistrustful, God-fearing populace living along strictly defined lines. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Salem was . 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. Robbins, Rossell Hope. Questions VII & XI. Thanks hopefully i get an A :). 14 (in the history 201 course-pack compiled by S. McSheffrey & T. McCormick), Trans. Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.Crewe, Sabrina and Michael V. Uschan. Salem witch trial started as feud between Porters n putnums cuz putnums felt Porters gave too much freedom to their black servants. Awesome Article. Among those detained in March 1692 were Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse, upstanding members of the local churches in Salem Village and Salem Town respectively. 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. Smithsonia, 8 Sept. 2013. 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. I needed this a lot but was having trouble with it. Check them out below. A secondary source would be a book, journal or article written long after the event by someone who didnt experience it first hand. The new court released those awaiting trial and pardoned those awaiting execution. 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. I am totally shocked to be related in this way. Abigail Williams: The Mysterious Afflicted Girl. In November of 1991, Salem town officials announced plans for a Salem Witch Trials Memorial in Salem. . 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. All would await trial for a crime punishable by death in17th-century New England the practice of witchcraft. 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. They left an 11-year-old son, John Jr . "5 Facts About the Salem Trials." Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. 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. Good luck! Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The hysterical behaviour was an unconscious outlet for rebellion, a release valve for the pressure that the threat of eternal damnation put them under. Proctors wife managed to escape execution because she was pregnant, but Proctor was hanged on August 19 along with five other people. 1. Five more people were hanged in July, one of which was Rebecca Nurse. Farms were mortgaged or sold, first to pay prison fees, then to pay taxes; frequently they were abandoned. Then after said the dog died so it must have been innocent. Most of the eyewitness accounts can be found in the court records and the books written by the ministers involved in the trials. One of them, George Burroughs, protested his innocence as the noose was readied. Corey was accused of witchcraft in April during his wifes examination. The Puritan way of life was strict, and even small differences in behavior made people suspicious. Hoffer, Peter Charles. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. 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. Another notable person who was accused of witchcraft was Captain John Alden Jr., the son of the Mayflower crew member John Alden. The ages of the accused ranged from 12 to 72 years old, with the average age being 41. As sleet and snow heaped higher outside their door, Betty Parris and. 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. I also have an ancestor, Mary Parsons, who was accused of witchcraft but she was allowed to live. I find this to be very well put and want to read more. Do you know if their are any reports from some of the people in the villiage? You can check out my article on books about the Salem Witch Trials here:https://historyofmassachusetts.org/best-books-about-salem-witch-trials/ or you could search the court records online on the University of Virginia website. Letters of Governor Phips to the Home Government, 16921693, "Woman condemned in Salem witch trials on verge of pardon 328 years later", "Indictment of Sarah Good for Afflicting Sarah Vibber", "Indictment of Abigail Hobbs for Covenanting", "The Devil's Specter: Spectral Evidence and the Salem Witchcraft Crisis", Narratives of the Witchcraft Trials, p. 342, "Role of skin lesions in the Salem witchcraft trials", "329 years later, last Salem 'witch' who wasn't is pardoned", Cornell University Library Witchcraft Collection, Salem Massachusetts Salem Witch Trials The Stones: July 10 and July 19, 1692, Salem Village Witchcraft Victims' Memorial, etext.virginia.edu, Chapter 122 of the Acts of 2001, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Actual Site Of Salem Witch Hangings Discovered", "The Real Salem Witch Hanging Site Was Located", Salem Witchcraft Trials: The Perception Of Women In History, Literature And Culture, Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project, SalemWitchTrials.com Essays, biographies of the accused and afflicted, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salem_witch_trials&oldid=1142737002. 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 June, Nathaniel Saltonstall resigned and was replaced by Jonathan Corwin. Other medical explanations have included encephalitis lethargica, a disease carried by birds and animals, and Lyme disease, an infection that produces skin rashes similar to those believed to have been administered by the Salem witches. 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! Has their been any further studies into the ergot theory besides the collage student in the early 70s? According to Plouffe, Jr., the trials were the largest of . Salem Witch Trials Of 1692 | Landmarks, Events, & More Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of Was there some sort of compromise at the end? William Ives and George W. Pease, 1857Session Laws. The 190th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, www.malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2001/Chapter122The 1692 Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Museum, www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education/salem-witch-trialsBlumberg, Jess. The first witch trial occurred because the daughter (Betty Parris) and niece (Abigail Williams) of the local Salem Reverend had become violently ill. Salem Village was populated mostly by poor farmers, and Salem Town was a prosperous port full of middle-class and wealthy merchants. 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. Hopkins crusade was at its most virulent between 1644 and 1646. Since the accused witches were considered dangerous prisoners, they were kept in the dungeon and were chained to the walls because jail officials believed this would prevent their spirits from fleeing the jail and tormenting their victims. What gave witches away were body marks, such as scars and moles. Lines going back to Salem and Colonial New England in general are usually well documented. Think it was her kids. The doctor was unable to find anything physically wrong with them and suggested they may be bewitched. 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. 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. More significant were admissions of attending a witches meeting on Pendle Hill. How Rye Bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials, Order in the Court: 10 Trials of the Century, https://www.britannica.com/facts/Salem-witch-trials. This is really great. Thank-you for the great info you have shared. The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica. At the center of the Salem witch trials were a core group of accusers, all girls and young women ranging in age from nine to 20, who screamed, writhed, barked and displayed other horrifying. 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. OMG! Salem Witch Trials: Who Were the Main Accusers? - HISTORY 2, no. 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. Although the witch hunt started in Salem Village, it quickly spread to the neighboring towns, including Amesbury, Andover, Salisbury, Topsfield, Ipswich and Gloucester, and numerous residents of those towns were brought to Salem and put on trial. As the innocent women approached the gallows, in the last moments of their lives, they continued to protest their innocence. 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. The punishment was hanging. An elderly woman accused of witchcraft is taken to the courthouse by an officer of the law. The Salem witch trials were a series of prosecutions in which over 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. While sympathy, and certainly empathy, are always good things to have, its also important that we dont let emotions color the facts. One freezing day in January of 1692, something strange happened inside the Parris household of Salem Village, Massachusetts. Just as true today as it was a few centuries ago, fearmongering really accelerated the accusations. Many people lived in a constant state of fear, tension, and paranoia. 9 Things You Might Not Know About the Salem Witch Trials Between 1692 and 1693, more than two hundred people were accused. 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. The Salem witch trials marked a seven-month period of mass hysteria in 1692 Colonial America. Heinrich Kramer wrote a whole book on why witches should be all exterminated and how to do that. Indeed, as Stacy Schiff explains in The Witches, her history of the witch trials, It would have been difficult to find more than a few souls to whom the supernatural was not eminently real, part and parcel of the culture, as was the devil himself. These unsettling facts will shed light. Thank you so much, this was also, by far, the best site ive come across for salem trials. Other victims include two dogs who were shot or killed after being suspected of witchcraft. It's unlikely that anyone in Salem was actually practicing witchcraftmost of the community consisted of devout and pious Christians. 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. Salem Witch Trials Mass hysteria, social ignorance, and religious intolerance all describe the chaos that took place in Massachusetts during the year 1692. We also have kept good records of everything. No one was burned at the stake in the Salem witch trials. Afflicted Girls:Elizabeth BoothElizabeth HubbardMercy LewisBetty ParrisAnn Putnam, Jr.Susannah SheldonAbigail WilliamsMary WalcottMary Warren. Preston, VK. How did this conflict impact the trials? On October 29, Phips dismissed the Court of Oyer and Terminer. The Trials Salem had become a hotbed for accusations of witchcraft. 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. The exact cause of the Salem Witch Trials is unknown but they were probably a number of causes. By the end of the trials in 1693, 24 people had died, some in jail but most by hanging. On March 1st, Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osburn were arrested and examined. While the Salem of today is a thriving metropolitan area, in 1692 it was a remote settlement on the edge of the frontier. 42 Wicked Facts About the Salem Witch Trials - factinate.com Fresh witchcraft cases continued to come before the new Superior Court of Judicature that, while again presided over by William Stoughton, was ordered not to accept spectral evidence. It was viewed as a sin against God, the church, and the Crown, and thus was treated as a crime. 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. Salem witch trials Facts | Britannica The Salem witch trials, which resulted in several deaths in 1692 in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, have never been adequately explained. 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. One of them was shot but I dont know how the other one died. 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. 9 Men Also Died During The Trials You can unsubscribe at any time. I need a bibliography for my class report. At the time, Salem Village was a small New England town populated mostly by Puritans, or religious individuals with a belief in the devil. The two communities were three hours apart, by foot, which was the most common method of transportation at the time. 10 Spine-Chilling & Captivating Facts About Salem, Massachusetts A child pointed to a dog and said it bewitched me and shot the dog immediately. It helped me very much on my history day project!! A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials - Smithsonian Magazine Porters never forgot about this n intermarried with many of the families afterwards. How many people (male and female) were killed in the Trials? 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. Cotton Mather and the Salem Witch Trials - The History Junkie 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. The leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. DHowlett1692, who blogs regularly about all things Salem, cites a 1977 article by Nicholas P. Spanos and Jack Gottlieb that disputes Caporaels ergotism study. It was not difficult for the people of Salem to believe they were involved in witchcraft. 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. . We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. an A on my report i mean >< 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. More than 200 people were a.. Read the article free on Booksie. 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. Bad weather isn't the only reason why the witch hype began. For years, Salem Village tried to separate itself politically from Salem Town. 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? No one was burned at the stake in Salem, but nineteen people were hanged, and one was pressed to death under heavy stones. since we stared this topic in my 11th grade ap english class i have been very intregted. This was so helpful for my project! . The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. The jail was a small wooden structure with a dungeon underneath. 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. I need to cite this for my reference sheet. More than 200 people were accused. 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. And if you take away my life, God will give you blood to drink.. 10 Interesting Facts about the Salem Witch Trials & Salem, Massachusetts Salem Witch Trials Facts, Worksheets & Information For Kids - KidsKonnect Alden was accused of witchcraft by a child during a trip to Salem while he was on his way home to Boston from Canada. Between 1647 and 1688, 12 women had been sentenced to death for making covenants with the devil. 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. A large proportion of the case against Bishop also focused on her lifestyle, especially her rumoured promiscuity and un-Puritan ways. You never know what you will find when you start researching your family tree! Which brings us to. 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. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFRobinson2001 (. The Salem Witch Trials: Real Facts That Will Haunt You A total of 19 accused witches were hanged at Proctors Ledge, near Gallows Hill, during the witch trials. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The others were either found guilty but pardoned, found not guilty, were never indicted or simply evaded arrest or escaped from jail. The accused was thrown into a river and if they made it out alive, it was because they were a witch. 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. I find the Salem Witch trails to be the most interesting event in the colonization of whats now US. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom were executed by hanging (14 women and five men). 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. And, of course, theres the theory that it was all down to good old fashioned spite. When was this site last edited? 136, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA. An Account of the Life, Character, & C., of the Rev. Salem witch trials, (June 1692-May 1693), in American history, 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 (now Danvers, Massachusetts). 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. Wigington, Patti. Learn Religions, Sep. 9, 2021, learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897. Witch hunts These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. 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. Many of the accusers were adults and more than a few of them were people who had themselves been accused. 5 Facts About the Salem Trials. 1982)]. Spanos and Gottlieb argue. All of the accused were finally pardoned in 1711. 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? Im trying to get my family to visit there- Id even give up my beach trip for it! A Break With Charity: A Story About the Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi. Salem Witch Trials Memorial at Proctor's Ledge They feared many innocent people were being executed. Not many people fled Salem, only a handful did, because Salem was their home and had been for a long time. Being burned at the stake was an occasionally used method of execution in Europe, when one was convicted of witchcraft, but was generally reserved for those who refused to repent of their sins. Ergot is a fungus found in bread, and has the same effect as hallucinogenic drugs. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraftthe devil's magic and 20 were executed . Is there any credence to this theory? The primary sources of the Salem Witch Trials offer a wealth of information on these infamous trials. Through the loss of 20 lives, the episode continues to warn of the dangers of insularity and isolationism, of intolerance, of religious extremism. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. From unbelievable witch swimming tests to th. 618619. They were part of a long story of witch hunts that began in Europe in the 14th century. The Salem Witch Trials are a dark stain on American history and on the history of Christianity. Hi Sarah, Hi William, thats really cool that you are a descendant of Mary Easty. 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). As years passed, apologies were offered and restitution was made to the victims families. Cant wait to visit this place! what was the ratio of men to women. The Salem Witch Trials officially began in February of 1692, when the afflicted girls accused the first three victims, Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne, of witchcraft and ended in May of 1693, when the remaining victims were released from jail. 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.