Ever since those dark days ended, the trials have become synonymous with mass hysteria and scapegoating. This helped me a lot with an assignment i had to do for school, but i cant find the publisher sadly. The English laws against witchcraft were repealed in 1736, after which incidents of suspected bewitchment, by now very isolated, were dealt with by mob rule rather than by a clear legal framework. Corey still refused to offer a plea and paid with his life. While women were of course on the forefront of persecution, men could also be accused of witchcraft. In mid-September, a further group went to the gallows Eight Firebrands of Hell in the words of Rev Noyes. 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 Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. No one was burned at the stake in Salem, but nineteen people were hanged, and one was pressed to death under heavy stones. Preston, VK. The Salem Witch Trials are a dark stain on American history and on the history of Christianity. One person was pressed to death, and over 150 others were jailed, where still others died. 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. Only the intervention of Cotton Mather whonappeased the crowd with the observation that the devil had often been transformed into the Angel of Light ensured that the hangings continued as scheduled. 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. It was not difficult for the people of Salem to believe they were involved in witchcraft. Nige Tassell explains how hysteria in the village of Salem, Massachusets, gave rise to a horror that bedazzled the world. 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. Hemmed in by the ocean to the east and by an untamed wilderness to the west, settlers were completely disconnected from both the mother country on the other side of the Atlantic and the remainder of the American continent. 135, no. Please be respectful of copyright. The Salem jail was located at the corner of Federal Street and St. Peter Street. What source other than A Story of Witchcraft would you recommend to look up more information about the trials? For years, Salem Village tried to separate itself politically from Salem Town. All of the accused were finally pardoned in 1711. 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. 126. Bad weather isn't the only reason why the witch hype began. Since some of the law enforcement involved in the Salem Witch Trials were being sued by some of the surviving victims, the bill also stated: no sheriff, constable, goaler or other officer shall be liable to any prosecution in the law for anything they then legally did in the execution of their respective offices.. Thank you for the kind comments. The Salem witch trials began because a group of girls claimed they were possessed by the devil. 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. Well, most of the people accused lived in the part of Salem Village that was full of businesses and shops. Puritans walk through the snow-covered woods to get to church. Very well done! 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 Superior Court of Judicature, formed to replace the witchcraft court, did not allow spectral evidence. A prolific pamphleteer railing against the spread of witchcraft (or molestations from the invisible world), Mather was nonetheless keen for due diligence to occur inside the courtroom. 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. 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. Nevertheless, we cannot but humbly recommend unto the government, the speedy and vigorous prosecution of such as have rendered themselves obnoxious, according to the direction given in the laws of God, and the wholesome statutes of the English nation, for the detection of witchcrafts. Those who were found guilty were pardoned by Governor Phips. Hoffer, Peter Charles. They left an 11-year-old son, John Jr . Other diagnoses have focused more on the mental wellbeing of the Salem girls. It also silenced any opposition to the idea that the Devil had infiltrated Salem. The parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and more modem examples ofwitch huntinglike the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, are remarkable. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Massachusetts Archives Collection, vol. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 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. Salem Witch Trials Mass hysteria, social ignorance, and religious intolerance all describe the chaos that took place in Massachusetts during the year 1692. Bridget Bishop was the first person brought to trial. 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. Ultimately, eight women and two men were tried and found guilty of attending the gathering. The theory first came to prominence in the 1970s, when Linnda R. Caporael wrote Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem? Around the end of September, the use of spectral evidence was finally declared inadmissible, thus marking the beginning of the end of the Salem Witch Trials. 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. The Puritan way of life was strict, and even small differences in behavior made people suspicious. I dont know what compromise youre referring to. As a devout and strongly religious community living in near isolation in the mysterious New World, the community of Salem had a heightened sense of fear of the Devil and, as a result, it didnt take much to convince the villagers that there was evil among them. If these individuals had never written these books or helped record the proceedings, we wouldnt know half of what we know about the witch trials. "5 Facts About the Salem Trials." There is actually a compilation of all of the primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials. I am totally shocked to be related in this way. The story is about Susannah English, daughter of accused witches Phillip and Mary English and friend of Ann Putnam, Jr. I think in some forms that witches still exist in hidden arenas. Between 1692 and 1693, more than two hundred people were accused. The Salem Witch Trials. Here's what we know about the original witch hunt: 1. What were the witch trials in Salem actually about and how did it all start? These women were Sarah Good, Sarah Osburn and a slave named Tituba who worked for Reverend Samuel Parris. 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. Within minutes theyre led, hoods drawn over their heads, towards a rudimentary set of gallows, and their imminent executions. I am the author and publisher of this blog. In the 300 years since the Salem Witch Trials, experts have gone to great lengths to offer explanations for the young Salem girls afflictions of a somewhat more rational nature than the witchcraft diagnosed at the time. 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. As years passed, apologies were offered and restitution was made to the victims families. 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. Heres what I got if someone needed to use this for their biblyography. The trials only lasted three months, but they managed to leave a perpetual dark mark on the town's history. It was divided into two distinct and very different socioeconomic parts. In effect, theSalem Witch Trialswere over. Warrants were issued by the dozen, sometimes for the arrest of the most unlikely suspects. An Account of the Life, Character, & C., of the Rev. One major factor was that in 1684, King Charles II revoked the Massachusetts Bay Colonys royal charter, a legal document granting the colonists permission to colonize the area. The punishment was hanging. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. While the Salem of today is a thriving metropolitan area, in 1692 it was a remote settlement on the edge of the frontier. Hi William, thats really cool that you are a descendant of Mary Easty. According to Plouffe, Jr., the trials were the largest of . We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 9 Men Also Died During The Trials Or maybe it was the 1711 bill that cleared the names of the accused witches. Why do you think there are so little primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials? As the weeks passed, other young girls claimed to have been infected by witchcraft too. I also have an ancestor, Mary Parsons, who was accused of witchcraft but she was allowed to live. 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/. Critics such as Proctor were quickly accused of witchcraft themselves, under the assumption that anyone who denied the existence of witches or defended the accused must be one of them, and were brought to trial. The trials were held in the Salem courthouse, which was located in the center of Washington Street about 100 feet south of Lynde Street, opposite of where the Masonic Temple now stands. To understand the events of theSalem Witch Trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. Glanvill, Joseph. Rebecca, how long did this take you? 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. There are many theories that explain why the witch trials began in Medieval Europe. 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. The clergy later held a meeting, on August 1, to discuss the trials but were not able to help Proctor before his execution. Learn Religions, Sep. 9, 2021, learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897. The leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. 135, p. 112, No. Estimates suggest that over 200 women were executed during this period as a direct result of the investigations of Hopkins and his associates. The Salem Witch Trials were not a positive section of American history but have been used as a learning tool for the United States. Spanos and Gottlieb argue. Bridget Bishop was convicted at the end of her trial and sentenced to death. Alden was accused of witchcraft by a child during a trip to Salem while he was on his way home to Boston from Canada. Secondary sources would be Charles Uphams book Salem Witchcraft which was published in 1867, Emerson Bakers book A Storm of Witchcraft which was published in 2014 and etc. 1 Most of the accused were women but men were accusedand executedtoo. 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. Boyer, P., & Nissenbaum, S. The others were either found guilty but pardoned, found not guilty, were never indicted or simply evaded arrest or escaped from jail. Published in 1992, this novel is a fictionalized account of the afflicted girls of Salem Village. Second, everyone got their food from the same place, so symptoms would have occurred in every household, not just a select few. Next: Spooky Places: 10 Destinations For Fans Of Witches. Some of the suggested theories are: conversion disorder, epilepsy, ergot poisoning, Encephalitis, Lyme disease, unusually cold weather, factionalism, socio-economic hardships, family rivalries and fraud. It is called Records of the Salem Witch Hunt and is edited by Bernard Rosenthal. 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. The court didnt believe them, and found all three women guilty of practicing witchcraft. This legal tactic was known as peine forte et dure which means strong and harsh punishment.. The trials are believed to have been the reason why the US constitution recognizes witchcraft as a legal religion. How twisted is that? I am looking forward to the challenge of uncovering a multitude of analysis on this matter. In mid-September, Corey was tortured this way for three days in a field near Howard Street until he finally died on September 19. Thank you for this amazing Article. Porters never forgot about this n intermarried with many of the families afterwards. Eventually, after seeming to realize how unfair the trials were to the accused, the court refused to hear any more charges of witchcraft. I edit the site in general pretty much every day. 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.
