I think this was a great site and I also recommend the book the witches -salem, 1962 by stacey schiff. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. On May 27, 1692, after weeks of informal hearings accompanied by imprisonments, Sir William Phips (also spelled Phipps), the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, interceded and ordered the convening of an official Court of Oyer ("to hear") and Terminer ("to decide") in Salem Town. Lets look at some important historical evidence that people often forget about the Salem witch trials. Where did theses trials take place were there anymore places then Massachusetts Bay. 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. There is actually a compilation of all of the primary sources on the Salem Witch Trials. Good and Osbourne insisted they were innocent. Her apology states: I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence that befell my fathers family in the year about 92; that I, then being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made an instrument for the accusing of several persons of a grievous crime, whereby their lives were taken away from them, whom now I have just grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons; and that it was a great delusion of Satan that deceived me in that sad time, whereby I justly fear I have been instrumental, with others, though ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon myself and this land the guilt of innocent blood; though what was said or done by me against any person I can truly and uprightly say, before God and man, I did it not out of any anger, malice, or ill-will to any person, for I had no such thing against one of them; but what I did was ignorantly, being deluded by Satan. Hi Sarah, On October 31, 2001, the state amended the 1957 apology and cleared the names of the remaining unnamed victims, stating: Chapter 145 of the resolves of 1957 is hereby amended by striking out, in line 1, the words One Ann Pudeator and certain other persons and inserting in place thereof the following words:- Ann Pudeator, Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmot Redd.. It was viewed as a sin against God, the church, and the Crown, and thus was treated as a crime. Afflicted Girls:Elizabeth BoothElizabeth HubbardMercy LewisBetty ParrisAnn Putnam, Jr.Susannah SheldonAbigail WilliamsMary WalcottMary Warren. When the first accusations of witchcraft began in Salem Village, they initially targeted women. 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. 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. It all began in 1692 and 1693 when Salem in the United States . The charter was revoked because the colonists had violated several of the charters rules, which included basing laws on religious beliefs and discriminating against Anglicans. Hi RebeccaI saw that you have a lot of knowledge about Mary EastyI was told this year at a funeral that I am a direct decendent of hersI live in Salem and My Grandfather was name William Esteydo you by any chance have any history of the family tree? in journalism. Proctors wife managed to escape execution because she was pregnant, but Proctor was hanged on August 19 along with five other people. 42 Wicked Facts About the Salem Witch Trials - factinate.com Related: 10 Scary Churches From Around The World That Will Creep You Out. His death was gruesome and cruel and strengthened the growing opposition to the Salem Witch Trials. (1977). One freezing day in January of 1692, something strange happened inside the Parris household of Salem Village, Massachusetts. In August of 1992, on the 300th anniversary of the trials, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial was unveiled and dedicated by Nobel Laureate Eli Wiesel. 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. What are 5 facts about the Salem Witch Trials? - Wise-Answer Very well done! How the Salem Witch Trials Influenced the American Legal System - HISTORY Alden was accused of witchcraft by a child during a trip to Salem while he was on his way home to Boston from Canada. Also, In 17th century Massachusetts, people often feared that the Devil was constantly trying to find ways to infiltrate and destroy Christians and their communities. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. (2021, September 9). 62, No. A large proportion of the case against Bishop also focused on her lifestyle, especially her rumoured promiscuity and un-Puritan ways. Puritans walk through the snow-covered woods to get to church. Every March, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of women as part of Womens History Month. What Were The Salem Witch Trials? Explore The Facts And History The Salem Witch Trials and Ergot: Mushroom Madness? The torture consisted of laying the prisoner on the ground, naked, with a board placed on top of him. 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. 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. Corey was accused of witchcraft in April during his wifes examination. 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. I need a bibliography for my class report. 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. During that time, 19 people were hanged and one person was pressed to death. By now, seven months on from the arrest of Sarah Good, the hysteria was decelerating. 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. In addition to this constant sense of fear, Salem residents were also under a great deal of stress during this period due to a number of factors. I think it is easy to underestimate the importance of James IIs creation of the Dominion of New England. Essex County Court Archives, vol. Salem Witch Trials Of 1692 | Landmarks, Events, & More PDF What Were The Salem Witch Trials - Cpanel.gestudy.byu.edu 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. The Salem Witch Trials are a dark stain on American history and on the history of Christianity. At the same time, the accused would be denied legal representation. I want to use this for my bibliograohy, Same but I cant find it. Finally, many of the symptoms described by witnesses stopped and began again based on external circumstances, and that simply doesnt happen with physiological illness. In seventeenth-century New England, pretty much everyone was practicing some form of Christianity. 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 Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schnauzer. 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 find this to be very well put and want to read more. 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. Its a common myth that the Salem Witch Trials victims were burned at the stake. 31. In additionone man was pressed to death; several others died in prison, and the lives of many were irrevocably changed. 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. Sources:Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft: With an Account of Salem Village and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft. To understand the events of theSalem Witch Trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. The witchcraft hysteria in Salem first began in January of 1692 when a group of young girls, who later came to be known as the afflicted girls, fell ill after playing a fortune-telling game and began behaving strangely. 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. The Salem Witch Trials - History Shortly after, two of the girls named the women they believed were bewitching them. Hi Maria, I dont have a version number for this site. Some (incredibly mean) people devoted their time to making a science out of witchcraft. With a 1562 act now permitting the death penalty for acts of witchcraft, they were hanged. The hysteria gripping Salem a settlement resonating with the incessant sound of accusation and counteraccusation showed that no-one was exempt from suspicion. I need to cite this for my reference sheet. Nobecause certainly there are some Christians who dobut theres no historical evidence that anyone was really working any kind of magic in Salem. It seems like an easier thing to do than just sit there and be accused. The Salem Witch Trials offered a salutary lesson not only to the colony of Massachusetts Bay but also to the new nation that would be forged in the following century. 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. Boyer, P., & Nissenbaum, S. 126. In isolated settlements, in dim, smoky, firelit homes, New Englanders lived very much in the dark, where one listens more acutely, feels more passionately, imagines most vividly, where the sacred and the occult thrive. These five executions were not the first in New England for the crime of witchcraft. "Examination and Evidence of Some Accused Witches in Salem, 1692. As if the lonely and misunderstood didn't have a hard enough life on its own, they seemed the most suspicious to the crowds. Hoffer, Peter Charles. 10 Unsettling Facts About The Witch Trials, The Symptoms That Gave Witches Away Make No Sense At All, Women Could Save Themselves By Pointing A Finger (At Someone Innocent), Witch Trials In Germany Took Thousands Of Lives, It Wasn't Just Women Who Suffered Because Of The Trials, The Witch Tests Often Had No Way Of Getting Out Alive, As If They Didn't Suffer Enough, Social Outcasts Had It The Worst, Scary Stories: 10 Places For Stephen King Fans To Visit, 10 Scary Churches From Around The World That Will Creep You Out, Spooky Places: 10 Destinations For Fans Of Witches. "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. As sleet and snow heaped higher outside their door, Betty Parris and. Do not lay more stress on pure spectral evidence than it will bear, he cautioned. No ones really sure why the witch craze spread the way it did, but it brought lasting changes to the United States legal system and the way evidence and witnesses were treated. Ergot is a fungus found in bread, and has the same effect as hallucinogenic drugs. The girls accusation was that Good had performed witchcraft on them. North Wind Picture Archives, Alamy Stock Photo. I am no more a witch than you are a wizard. The devil had won. 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. When asked who it was that had afflicted them, they named Good a homeless woman who had fallen destitute after denying the inheritance of her wealthy fathers estate as one of the three culprits. Three days earlier, the death of another of the accused had occurred. (Eds.). The afflicted state of our poor neighbours, that are now suffering by molestations from the invisible world, we apprehend so deplorable, that we think their condition calls for the utmost help of all persons in their several capacities. More significant were admissions of attending a witches meeting on Pendle Hill. Unauthorized use is prohibited. When she is not traveling, you will find her reading, drinking coffee and chatting away with her many international friends. The Examination of Sarah Good, March 1, 1692. 135, no. im doing a huge assessment in my language arts class called national history day and i love how into detail this went! This was no more notable than when playwright Arthur Miller chose to dramatise the trials in his 1953 play The Crucible. Anja Grar is a writer, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia. 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. They were part of a long story of witch hunts that began in Europe in the 14th century. 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. 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. 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. Get ready to pull out your history books as we bring you the most DISTURBING facts about the Salem Witch Trials. On that day, Judge Samuel Sewall attended prayer services at Bostons South Church and asked Reverend Samuel Willard to read a public apology that Sewall had written, which states: Samuel Sewall, sensible of the reiterated strokes of God upon himself and family; and being sensible, that as to the guilt contracted upon the opening of the late Commission of Oyer and Terminer at Salem (to which the order of this day relates) he is, upon many accounts, more concerned than any that he knows of, desires to take the blame and shame of it, asking pardon of men, and especially desiring prayers that God, who has an unlimited authority, would pardon that sin and all other his sins; personal and relative: And according to his infinite benignity and sovereignty, not visit the sin of him, or of any other, upon himself or any of his, nor upon the land: But that he would powerfully defend him against all temptations to sin, for the future; and vouchsafe him the efficacious, saving conduct of his word and spirit.. Has their been any further studies into the ergot theory besides the collage student in the early 70s? To complicate matters further, within Salem Village itself, there were two separate social groups. Add in the numerous films and television series that reference Salem, and things get even more distorted. No way to fight its power. In addition to official court records there are also several books written by the ministers and other people involved in the trials: A Brief and True Narrative of Some Remarkable Passages Relating to Sundry Persons Afflicted by Witchcraft, at Salem Village: Which happened from the Nineteenth of March, to the Fifth of April, 1692 by Deodat Lawson circa 1692 The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England by Cotton Mather circa 1692 More Wonders of the Invisible World by Robert Calef circa 1700 A Modest Enquiry Into the Nature of Witchcraft by John Hale circa 1702. 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. The proclamation suggested that there should be: observed a Day of Prayer with Fasting throughout the ProvinceSo that all Gods people may put away that which hath stirred Gods Holy jealousy against his land; that he wouldhelp us wherein we have done amiss to do so no more; and especially that whatever mistakes on either hand have fallen intoreferring to the late tragedy, raised among us by Satan and his instruments, through the awful judgement of God, he would humble us therefore and pardon all the errors and people that desire to love his name. After my greaty great uncle Israel Porter formed political group to gather support against putnums, putnums responded by accusing supporters n friends of Porter Family of witchcraft (esp their daughters). Dramatic historic events such as witch trials didn't just come out of nowhere. This is really great. Or maybe it was the 1711 bill that cleared the names of the accused witches. The history (both good and bad) is something we should all know about. It disgusts me but at the same time interests me, and makes me want to learn more. 1 Most of the accused were women but men were accusedand executedtoo. Salem Village was populated mostly by poor farmers, and Salem Town was a prosperous port full of middle-class and wealthy merchants. Rev Nicholas Noyes, one of the local clergymen who had vigorously pursued the prosecutions, was the particular focus of Sarah Goods anger: You are a liar. It makes me sad sometimes writing about it. His diagnosis of bewitchment put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the hanging deaths of 19 men and women. Can u imagine how her family must have felt after satan used them to kill all those people who had family members who had disagreed with them? 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. 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! This helped with my English assignment! I think in some forms that witches still exist in hidden arenas. All Top Ten Lists History and Events Top 10 Dark Truths About the Salem Witch Trials We have all had to acknowledge the Salem Witch Trials, at one poimt or another, in this place called USA.To put it simply, the Salem Witch Trials were essentially the American equivalent to the Dark Ages, although the United States was not yet a proper sovreign nation, at the time. The leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. The Salem witch trials marked a seven-month period of mass hysteria in 1692 Colonial America. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. Is there any credence to this theory? Now I know it is not only there that it existed. An illustration shows a quiet street in the center of Salem, Massachusetts. In an insular society like Salem, where anyone straying from the norm was immediately criticised or condemned, accusations of witchcraft were a method of self-defence, of keeping the more undesirable elements of the local community at arms length, if not removing them completely. Learn Religions, Sep. 9, 2021, learnreligions.com/facts-about-the-salem-trials-2562897. Morrisiana, 1869Jackson, Shirley. I have countless ancestors out of Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of my grandmothers was Martha Carrier. The link can be found in the section of this article titled Salem Witch Trial Victims. European Witch trials started at a similar time as Protestantism. I see that you told someone quite a while ago but I dont think that is up to date. I If there is anyone has found anymore supporting theories please share. After Nurses execution on July 19th, the residents of Salem started to seriously question the validity of the trials. Curious to know the Publisher of this article. Salem witch trials. Im using this for my History project. There were all kinds of tests to determine whether a woman was a witch. 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. Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.Crewe, Sabrina and Michael V. Uschan. You can unsubscribe at any time. Id really like to see period sources for your assertion here. 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. Unlike some of the more notorious cases in Europe and England, such as that of the Pendle witch trial, there was no one among Salems accused who was known as a local witch or healer, with one exception. When Salem Villages new pastor,Reverend Samuel Parris, came to town, he denounced the secular behavior of the innkeepers and blacksmiths and others. Presided over by William Stoughton . Tried and found guilty within the course of a single day, Bishop was hanged a week later on 10 June, the first execution of the trials. Bridget Bishop was the first person brought to trial. Salem Witch Trials: The Hysteria Spreads Salem Witch Trials: Conclusion and Legacy The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem. 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. TDR / The Drama Review, 2018, Vol. Samuel Parris of Salem Village. Wigington, Patti. 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. 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. The Salem Witch Trials: Real Facts That Will Haunt You On December 17, 1697, Governor Stoughton issued a proclamation in hopes of making amends with God. No one cared about minorities or "loners" anyway. 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. 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. A Brief History of The Salem Witch Trials.Brief History Of The Salem Witch Trials The Salem witch trials took place between 1692 & 1693, in colonial Massachusetts. Ultimately, eight women and two men were tried and found guilty of attending the gathering. Local clergymen began speaking out against the witch hunt and tried to persuade officials to stop the trials. 25 DISTURBING Facts About The Salem Witch Trials - YouTube 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. "Maleus Maleficarum Part I.". The others were either found guilty but pardoned, found not guilty, were never indicted or simply evaded arrest or escaped from jail. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFRobinson2001 (. While Salem has, in the English-speaking world at least, become the byword for witch-hunts, a very similar episode occurred in Lancashire in 1612, some 80 years before the panic in New England the case of the Pendle Hill witches. 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]. The first of the girls to start experiencing symptoms was Betty Parris, followed by Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam Jr., Mary Walcott and Mercy Lewis. The exact cause of the Salem Witch Trials is unknown but they were probably a number of causes.