The village itself had a noticeable social divide that was exacerbated by a rivalry between its two leading familiesthe well-heeled Porters, who had strong connections with Salem Towns wealthy merchants, and the Putnams, who sought greater autonomy for the village and were the standard-bearers for the less-prosperous farm families. Salem Witch Trials: 25 DISTURBING Facts About The Salem Witch Trials | Salem Witch Trial Full Documentary The Geographic Channel | Samuel Parris | Dorothy Good | Familiar | Giles Corey | Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims - HISTORY | George Corwin | Haunted Salem - Where Are the Most Haunted Sites? Parris had shrewdly negotiated his contract with the congregation, but relatively early in his tenure he sought greater compensation, including ownership of the parsonage, which did not sit well with many members of the congregation. As she did when she was accused of bewitching her second husband, Bishop once again claimed innocence during her trial. When it was all over, 141 suspects, both men and women, were tried as witches. Linder, Douglas O. 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. Fireside Phantoms: Danvers State Mental Hospital & Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials Was A Social Conflict In The Crucible Animals were the "familiar spirits" of witches. There was a social divide between the leading families as well as a split between factions that were for and against the villages new pastor, Samuel Parris. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. In addition, one man was pressed to death by giant stones for refusing to even plea innocent. Salem witch trials, (June 1692May 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). Statistical Analysis of the Accused. Salem Witch Trials . Corrections? In fact, there was fear in Europe that an entire group of evil witches were consciously attacking Europeans in order to destroy Christendom. The madness of the witch trials eventually resulted in 200 people accused of witchcraft, 140 to 150 arrests for witchcraft, and the hangings of thirteen women and six men. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. It was carried out as such by Sheriff George Corwin. Besides their descendants, the accused witches of Salem leave another legacy: a rich and fascinating history for us to explore today. Three presidents William Howard Taft, Chester Arthur, and Gerald Ford have been said to descend from one of Salems executed witches or their siblings. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Between 1692 and 1693, more than two hundred people were accused. The punishment for witchcraft was death. Children were also accused of witchcraft. Those people lived in quite a horrific time. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. There were two Salems in the late 17th century: a bustling commerce-oriented port community on Massachusetts Bay known as Salem Town, which would evolve into modern Salem, and, roughly 10 miles (16 km) inland from it, a smaller, poorer farming community of some 500 persons known as Salem Village. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Phips. Photos and Videos See All Videos and Images Related Topics and References Topics witchcraft The Salem Witch trials occupy a large space in the American imagination. At the end of the 17th century, after years of mostly resisting witch hunts and witch trial prosecutions, Puritans in New England suddenly found themselves facing a conspiracy of witches in a war against Satan and his minions. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, and the event still haunts us today. No, it doesnt sound that romantic or comic to me either. In late May 1692, Sir William Phips, the first royal governor of Massachusetts established the criminal court to conduct the Salem witch trials. Tituba initially denied the claim that she was a witch, but notoriously later decided to confess that it was true and accused two other women as well in the process. For everyone who remains intrigued by Salem, here are a few lesser-known facts about the witchcraft trials. The largest account of witch trials as well as deaths by witch trials occurred in Salem, a village heavily populated with the Puritans. This is the event that Salem is most known for, in only three months' time 19 innocent people, 14 women and 5 men, were hanged, and one man was pressed to death. The Salem trials occurred late in the sequence, after the abatement of the European witch-hunt fervour, which peaked from the 1580s and 90s to the 1630s and 40s. Which, yes, is a little ironic. They soon spread to individuals regardless of their gender, class, or power in the community. The Multitude of Salem Witch Trials Descendants. New England Historical Society. Los Angeles Times, August 29, 1993. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-29-mn-29128-story.html. Giles had actually been accused and found guilty of murdering one of his farm hands years earlier, but was let off with just a fine! Sarah Good also gave birth to a daughter, Mercy, while in custody. One of the people who perished in prison was only an infant. William Good, who lost his wife Sarah and infant daughter Mercy, and whose daughter Dorothy was imprisoned, was one of the people who received the largest settlement. "Examination of a witch" by Tompkins Harrison Matteson (1853) Part of the escalation of theSalem trials included investigators literally going door to door and asking homeowners to rat out any suspected witches in their midst. During the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials - Smithsonian Magazine They argue that the trialscreated a taboo in America against mixing religion and government, and George Lincoln Burr called it, the rock on which the theocracy shattered. There is also no question that the incident remains a constant reminder in our collective minds about the importance of due process in a legal system, and the dangers of premature overreaction and irrational hysteria. Other girls and young women began experiencing fits, among them Ann Putnam, Jr.; her mother; her cousin, Mary Walcott; and the Putnamss servant, Mercy Lewis. The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between early 1692 and mid-1693. From the role of Abigail Williams to the invention of witch cakes and the devils mark, get ready to learn all you ever wanted to know (and more) about the dark past of the Salem witch trials. Despite being known as the Salem witch trials, some of the trials actually took place in Ipswich and Andover in addition to Salem itself. George Burroughs, the Puritan minister, had nine children before being hanged. 10 Unsettling Facts About The Witch Trials - TheTravel This obviously meant that you must also be a witch. They thought that when witches baked cakes, that they were casting a spell in it. And the first person executed for witchcraft during the trials was also a woman. The Salem witch trails reveal about gender and power in the 17 th century in the US is that the roles men expected of women followed a strict guideline. Despite their obvious Christian commitment, the early American Puritans actually banned Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1659, deeming it a sacrilege. Some of the attitudes in the Salem witch trials are still seen today. Much of the evidence brought agains the witches, at least at first, was called spectral evidence, where people testified to seeing an apparition of the accused trying to inflict harm on them. The infant died shortly after her birth, likely due to malnutrition. She was taken into custody the next day and jailed with her mother, Sarah, who had been accused of the same capital crime three weeks earlier. Today, witchcraftis recognized by the government as a protected and legitimate religion under the First Amendment. The collective delusion of witchcraft took more than a year to loosen its grip on Salem and its surrounding towns. Based on these girls accusations, the witch hunt began, and the warrants for the apprehension of Tituba, Osborne, and Good were officially signed on February 29, 1692. The first accusations during the Salem Witch Trials were against people who were for various reasons marginalized by society. After Governor Phips's wife faced accusations of witchcraft, he outlawed spectral evidence in October 1692. One was pressed to death by heavy stones. Two of the casualties were babies. Nige Tassell explains how hysteria in the village of Salem, Massachusets, gave rise to a horror that bedazzled the world Published: June 10, 2020 at 4:45 pm Subs offer The colony passed a bill in 1711 restoring the rights and good names of those accused and granted 600 restitution to their heirs. Tituba, an enslaved person born to a South American indigenous tribe, became the first person accused of witchcraft in Salem after Betty, the daughter of Salems minister, Samuel Parris, began acting erratically. Some three-fourths of those European witch hunts took place in western Germany, the Low Countries, France, northern Italy, and Switzerland. Courts relied on three kinds of evidence: 1) confession, 2) testimony of two eyewitnesses to acts of witchcraft, or 3) spectral evidence (when the afflicted girls were having their fits, they would interact with an unseen assailant - the apparition of the witch tormenting them). So if you are a witch, no need to worry about this ever happening again! In fact, there was fear in Europe that an entire group of evil witches were consciously attacking Europeans in order to destroy Christendom. This often led to panicked citizens pointing out their innocent neighbors, adding to the rising toll of victims. 10 Astonishing And Tragic Facts Of 17th-Century Salem Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. An important minister in Boston named Increase Mather was one of these objectors, stating that It were better that ten suspected witches should escape than that one innocent person should be condemned.. Music Credit: Spirit of the Dead by Aakash Gandhi#List25 #Didyouknow #WitchTrials It seems that a shocking number of accusations were made by members of the Putnam family. The effects of the Salem Village witch trials were devastating: 141 people imprisoned, 19 people executed, and two more died from other causes directly related to the investigations.1 The Salem witch trials would account for a quarter of all people executed for the crime of witchcraft in the history of New England,2 and would furthermore prove Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. One of the turning points in ending public support and enthusiasm for the trials was the conviction and execution of one of the towns former minsters, George Burroughs, who publicly recited the Lords Prayer at the gallows, which was believed to be impossible for witches to do. Ann Putnam, for example, used spectral evidence to accuse Rebecca Nurse,said, I saw the Apperishtion of [Rebecca Nurse] and she did immediatly afflect me. Such evidence was also used against Bridget Bishop, with many men claiming she had visited them in spectral form in the middle of the night. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, With roles ranging from Miss Congeniality to Gravity, The Heat, and Minions, Sandra Bullock has, "You might belong in Gryffindor / Where dwell the brave at heart / Their daring,, Star-studded premieres, massive advertising campaigns, and big budget blockbusters: The movies are big money. A complicated and long-lasting feud between the Putnam and Porter families of Salem may have been a motivating factor in some of the witchcraft accusations. After weeks of informal hearings, Sir William Phips, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, interceded to add some formality to the proceedings. Colonial America for Kids: Salem Witch Trials - Ducksters The haphazard fashion in which the Salem witch trials were conducted contributed to changes in U.S. court procedures, including rights to legal representation and cross-examination of accusers as well as the presumption that one is innocent until proven guilty. The first witch trial occurred because the daughter (Betty Parris) and niece (Abigail Williams) of the local Salem Reverend had become violently ill. Witch trials had actually been a fairly common phenomenon in Europe during that period. Rather, as Salem archivist and historian Richard Trask observes, they also included "second-hand rumors" and "fits of fancy." See Richard B. Trask, Legal Procedures Used During the Salem Witch Trials and a Brief History of the Published Versions of the Records, in Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt (Bernard Rosenthal ed., 2009). What Is The Historical Significance Of The Salem Witch Trials Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it.. Make sure to leave us a comment after you watch this video to tell us what you learned and what video youd like to see next! Dont feel too embarrassed if you happen to be from Massachusetts, you guys were not the first to do something like this. The community, beleaguered with hardships already, then overreacted. It involved a woman by the name of Tituba, a most likely South American slave from Barbados, who was the first victim of Salems witchcraft accusations. Move over Montagues and Capulets: You might not be the most vengeful families out there. Not that Salem didnt have its problems to begin with, but the community never fully recovered from the witch trials saga, and the divisions and setbacks to the towns development continued in the years following the trials. Because most of the trials were occurring in Salem . At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Facts About The Salem Witch Trials You Didn't Know | TheRichest Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. Interesting Facts about the Salem Witch Trials. Fourteen women and six men were executed for witchcraft, and five others died in prison during the trials. Initially, Tituba also claimed to be blameless, but after being repeatedly badgered (and undoubtedly fearful owing to her vulnerable status as a slave), she told the magistrates what they apparently wanted to hearthat she had been visited by the devil and made a deal with him. When he stopped being paid altogether, he left Salem. The Salem witch trials would mark her second time being accused of being a witch. Top 10 Events In History Scarier Than The Salem Witch Trials Subscribe To Most Amazing Top 10: http://bit.ly/2Ibyk6iMost Recent Videos: https://www.youtube.c. The Salem witch trials of the late 17thcentury were a formative episode in Americas early history, and have remained at the forefront of the national consciousness ever since. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 - Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA Some scholars believe that they were of African heritage, while others think that they may have been of Caribbean Native American heritage.). In the midst of all this religious and political controversy, there was also a major racial incident. From Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to Hocus Pocus, Arthur Miller to American Horror Story, American pop culture is saturated in retellings of this horrifying episode in colonial history. Full List, Photo Credits, and Sources: https://list25.com/25-disturbing-facts-about-the-salem-witch-trialsSUBSCRIBE - http://bit.ly/2uwq6BJCheck out our store: https://teespring.com/stores/list25-swagFollow us on: List25 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/list25List25 Instagram: https://instagram.com/list25/List25 Twitter - https://twitter.com/list25 List25 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/list25/See more Top 25 lists on our website:http://list25.comThe Salem witch trials were BRUTAL, but did you know that a big reason for the craziness surrounding the town was the Salem smallpox outbreak shortly before? They argue that the trialscreated a taboo in America against mixing religion and government, and George Lincoln Burr called it, the rock on which the theocracy shattered. There is also no question that the incident remains a constant reminder in our collective minds about the importance of due process in a legal system, and the dangers of premature overreaction and irrational hysteria. Regardless of the cause -- whether it was ergot poisoning, a teen prank, a vendetta against past wrongs, a grab for land or mass hysteria -- the Salem witch trials stand as a . The second slain dog was actually thought to be a victim of witchcraft whose tormentors fled Salem before they could be tried in court. 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. Nineteen were hanged, and one-elderly Giles Corey-pressed to death. They are fascinating as well as scary. What is the legacy of the Salem witch trials? Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Given the subsequent spread of the strange behaviour to other girls and young women in the community and the timing of its display, however, those physiological and psychological explanations are not very convincing. One person was even executed for refusing to testify at the hearings. (There is uncertainty regarding the relationship between the slaves and their ethnic origins. The Salem witchcraft trials, which began in May of 1692 after months of rumors of Satanic influence, still grip the American imagination more than 300 years later. Eventually, the accusations ensnared even the most powerful people in Massachusetts. This database contains information on more than 200 individuals formally accused and put on trial for witchcraft in New England between 1647 and 1697, including those accused in the Salem witch trials. Just when did the Salem witch trials take place in the timeline of American history? Fourteen women and six men were executed for witchcraft, and five others died in prison during the trials. Witches were considered to be followers of Satan who had traded their souls for his assistance. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. In total, more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft and more than 150 were arrested. According to her testimony, she had seen four women and a man, including Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good, asking her to hurt the children. Salem Witch Trials - Events, Facts & Victims - HISTORY The panic and fear over witches hiding amongst the colony began when two young girls, Abigail Williams and Betty Parris, developed strange symptoms including having fits and screaming in pain at mysterious moments. On August 21, 1692, aided by two Boston ministers, Philip and Mary fled for New York, forfeiting a 4,000 bond and leaving their daughter in the care of a friend. When all was said and done, 25 people lost their lives because of the trials. A crucible is a kind of container used for heating substances at very high temperatures, and the term is often used to describe high pressure situationssuch as the onethe witch trials creates for the accused. Let those stories inspire you to start your family history research today. The Salem Witch Trials begin. Between February 1692 and May 1693, colonial Massachusetts was the scene of a mass hysteria sparked by false accusations from several young girls. He was the first to suggest the girls may be under the evil influence of witchcraft. Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. For instance, after being accused of witchcraft, Philip and Mary English were held for trial in a Boston jail. It is not known why Abigail was living with the Parris family but many historians assume her parents . During 1692, in the city of Salem, a little colony in Massachusetts, US, a horrifying trial started against several neighbors accused of witchcraft. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). One of the most famous victims of the trials was a prominent woman in the local community named Martha Corey. Lieutenant Governor William Stoughton served as its chief magistrate and Thomas Newton as the Crowns Prosecuting Attorney. They had seizures, hid under chairs, talked in gibberish, and ran fevers. The Salem Witch Trials: A case of mass hysteria Other proof was the touch test, where if a witch who cursed someone touched the cursed person in the midst of a fit, theit fit would stop. Good was imprisoned from March 24, 1692, to December 10, 1692. When all was said and done, 25 people lost their lives because of the trials. Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it.Arthur Miller, in The Crucible. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://famous-trials.com/salem/2078-sal-acct. The Salem witch trials have gripped American imaginations ever since they occurred in 1692. Sir William Phips. Famous Trials. Even some members of his congregation at the time wanted to see him dismissed from his pew in response to his aggressive prosecuting role in the episode. 11 Facts About the Salem Witch Trials | Mental Floss The Putnams, a prominent family hed borrowed money from, sued Burroughs for unpaid debts and later accused him of witchcraft. The story goes that Corey and her husband, Giles, sat in on the trials early on, causing Martha to express scepticism about the legitimacy of the proceedings. The Salem Witch Trials were a series of trial that took place in 1692, when it was believed "witches" were casting spells on people in the village of Salem. Additionally, a man was pressed beneath heavy stones until he died. Spectral evidence refers to the description of harm committed by the specters of the accused, described by those who were bewitched [PDF]. When you think of the Salem witch trials, you probably think of a bunch of confused villagers who didnt know any better, but there is so much more to the story. They were eventually assumed to be possessed. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, andthe event still haunts us today. The Salem Witch Trials Victims: Who Were They? History of Massachusetts Blog, August 19, 2015. https://historyofmassachusetts.org/salem-witch-trials-victims/. Gallows Hill was discovered on a rocky outcropping now located, very unfittingly, near a Walgreens in Salem. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. They were eventually assumed to be possessed. Its name comes from the Anglo-French phrase oyer et terminer, which literally translates to hear and determine.. The True Legal Horror Story of the Salem Witch Trials Gallows Hill was discovered on a rocky outcropping now located, very unfittingly, near a Walgreens in Salem. Due to its association with the supernatural and the haunted, Salem is now a popular destination for Halloween festivities, which run throughout the month of October. Witch Trials in the 21st Century - National Geographic Society It was actually the local doctor, likely William Griggs, who first diagnosed the girls as having been bewitched when he couldnt find anything medically wrong with them to explain the strange behavior. Salem didn't burn witches at the stake; most of the accused witches were hanged. For example, the infamous Putnam family had been one of the earliest settler dynasties to come to the Massachusetts Bay colony and establish themselves there. A crucible is a kind of container used for heating substances at very high temperatures, and the term is often used to describe high pressure situationssuch as the onethe witch trials creates for the accused. An important minister in Boston named Increase Mather was one of these objectors, stating that It were better that ten suspected witches should escape than that one innocent person should be condemned.. Arthur Miller, the famous playwright who authored Death of a Salesman, responded to the McCarthy hysteria by writing The Crucible, a play about the Salem witch trials, as a metaphor for what the country was going through in the 1950s. On March 1 two magistrates from Salem Town, John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin, went to the village to conduct a public inquiry. This resulted in him being accused as well, and in the end it was he who was executed while Elizabeth was instead sentenced to prison so that her unborn baby would not have to die. 20 wereexecuted (generally hanged) by the prosecutors, and five died while serving prison time. History. In addition to the twenty people convicted and executed for witchcraft, two dogs were also accused of and executed for the same crime. Significantly, those that they began identifying as other witches were no longer just outsiders and outcasts but rather upstanding members of the community, beginning with Rebecca Nurse, a mature woman of some prominence. The hunts were efforts to identify witches rather than pursuits of individuals who were already thought to be witches. Most importantly, Stoughton allowed spectral evidence during the trials, so that an accuser could claim that an accused witch had appeared to them in a vision or hurt them within a dream. Because of the similarity in time period, location, and story, people often mix up the Puritans with the Pilgrims, the group of Dutch settlers who created what we now know as the holiday of Thanksgiving. Miller did not approve of this, and this was one of the things he tried to criticize allegorically through his depiction of the Salem events.