The phrase witch hunt, commonly used to refer to an unjustified or falsely conjured-up prosecution, is thought to originate as a reference to this time period in American history. 20 wereexecuted (generally hanged) by the prosecutors, and five died while serving prison time. The punishment for witchcraft was death. The salem witch trials hysteria of 1692 was caused by the Puritans strict religious standards and intolerance of anything not accepted with their scripture. In January 1692, two little girls living in Salem began acting strangely. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. The trials came to an abrupt halt when the Governors wife was accused of witchcraft, causing him to immediately order an end to the trials. 10 The Symptoms That Gave Witches Away Make No Sense At All All witches are women, but not every woman is a witch. He brought to Salem Village his wife, their three children, a niece, and two slaves who were originally from BarbadosJohn Indian, a man, and Tituba, a woman. Spectral evidence was only deemed inadmissible when it was used to accuse Governor William Phipss wife, Mary. The stars of the Salem story were the Puritan community of the Massachusetts Bay colony, a religious groupthat came over to America to escape religious persecution back in England. In addition to the twenty people convicted and executed for witchcraft, two dogs were also accused of and executed for the same crime. By the time it was over, the resulting Salem witch trials had claimed the lives of 20 innocent souls. 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. The hunts were efforts to identify witches rather than pursuits of individuals who were already thought to be witches. Because most of the trials were occurring in Salem . 25 DISTURBING Facts About The Salem Witch Trials 429,208 views Sep 12, 2018 6.3K Dislike Share Save List 25 2.51M subscribers Get ready to pull out your history books as we bring you the most. Another reason why it sucked that these trials took place before the Bill of Rights existed? In 1689, through the influence of the Putnams, Samuel Parris, a merchant from Boston by way of Barbados, became the pastor of the villages Congregational church. The Salem Witch Trials begin. Here are 42 wicked facts about the Salem witch trials. Additionally, a man was pressed beneath heavy stones until he died. In 1692, when the Salem witch trials began, the United States Constitution did not yet exist. His vocal support for his wifewho was also accused of witchcraftand claims that the accusers were lying were among the possible reasons why suspicion fell on him as well. Ergot causes hallucinations, convulsive fits, and sometimes death, and LSD derives from the substance. She was an enslaved woman believed to have been from Central America, captured as a child from Barbados, and brought to Massachusetts in 1680 by Reverend Parris. 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 most famous witch trial in history happened in Salem, Massachusetts, during the winter and spring of 1692-1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. Interestingly, dogs role did not end here. So if you are a witch, no need to worry about this ever happening again! 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. She crafted a tale detailing how the devil had come to her and asked her to do his bidding. Witchcraft was considered a crime against the church and the state. This often led to panicked citizens pointing out their innocent neighbors, adding to the rising toll of victims. (Salem Witch Trials "History" published on November 4, 2011 and updated on October 5, 2021). January 1692- Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village's daughter, 9-year-old Elizabeth "Betty" Parris, falls ill, soon followed by his 11-year-old niece, Abigail Williams. Although most of the accused witches were women, some men were also accused. Archivo de msica 25 disturbing facts about the salem witch trials, 25 disturbing facts about the salem witch trialssubido hace 4 aospor List 25. If there is any consolation for some of the condemned witches of Salem, it may come from the fact that their families lived on long after them. How Rye Bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials, Order in the Court: 10 Trials of the Century, https://www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials, Bill of Rights Institute - The Salem Witch Trials, World History Encyclopedia - Salem Witch Trials, Salem Witch Trials - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Salem witch trials - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). A total of 25 people died because of the Salem witch trials. She went as far as to say that she did not even know what a witch was. SALEM WITCH TRIALS CHRONOLOGY. Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it.Arthur Miller, in The Crucible. 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. Looking back with the perspective provided by modern science, some scholars have speculated that the strange behaviour may have resulted from some combination of asthma, encephalitis, Lyme disease, epilepsy, child abuse, delusional psychosis, or convulsive ergotismthe last a disease caused by eating bread or cereal made of rye that has been infected with the fungus ergot, which can elicit vomiting, choking, fits, hallucinations, and the sense of something crawling on ones skin. It was shut down on October 29, 1692. The girls are examined by a . Which, yes, is a little ironic. One person was even executed for refusing to testify at the hearings. It was believed that they employed demons to accomplish magical deeds, that they changed from human to animal form or from one human form to another, that animals acted as their familiar spirits, and that they rode through the air at night to secret meetings and orgies. Sarah Good also gave birth to a daughter, Mercy, while in custody. The court first convened on June 2, 1692, with Bridget Bishops case being the first to be adjudicated upon. 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 1942 romantic comedy filmI Married a Witch, starring Veronica Lake and Frederic March, told the story of two witches from Salem placing a revenge curse on the descendants of their accuser. At the time of the Salem Witch Trials, Abigail was living with her uncle, Reverend Samuel Parris, his daughter Betty Parris and Parris' slaves Tituba and John Indian. 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. The Court of Oyer and Terminer was established in June 1692 because the witch trials were overwhelming the local jails and courts. Unlike the stereotype surrounding witchcraft that indicates that it is primarily done by women, the people of Salem did not discriminate on the basis of gender. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://famous-trials.com/salem/2035-sal-bphi. One of the people who perished in prison was only an infant. the devil's army against the Puritans, probably in an effort to protect herself from certain conviction by serving as an informant. And the first person executed for witchcraft during the trials was also a woman. Log in or try Ancestry 14 days free to start finding the survivors, the outspoken, or the ones who did things differently in your family tree. 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. Tituba ultimately survived the saga and was not hanged. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. 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. One dog was shot after a girl suffering from convulsions accused the dog of trying to bewitch her. 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.. Despite their obvious Christian commitment, the early American Puritans actually banned Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1659, deeming it a sacrilege. Credit where credit is due! I wonder if what the prescription is for that. 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. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, and the event still haunts us today. So if witchcraft wasnt really happening in Salem, what actually caused those girls to have the fits? 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. 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. 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. One exception was Giles Corey, who refused to stand for trialhe believed the court had already decided his fate, and he didn't want his property to be confiscated upon his verdict of being found guilty. Dont feel too embarrassed if you happen to be from Massachusetts, you guys were not the first to do something like this. In the process Salem divided into pro- and anti-Parris factions. There is little doubt that some individuals did worship the devil and attempt to practice sorcery with harmful intent. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. He was the first to suggest the girls may be under the evil influence of witchcraft. The community, beleaguered with hardships already, then overreacted. Those people lived in quite a horrific time. Kyle Climans has been a published writer since 2011. List of People of the Salem Witch Trials. Wikipedia. Here's what we know about the original witch hunt: 1. In mid-January 1692, Elizabeth Betty Parris, the 9-year-old daughter of the local Reverend Samuel Parris, and Abigail Williams, the reverends 11-year-old niece, became the first to be diagnosed with being afflicted by witchcraft. Because he refused to comply with the court, he was given the sentence of being pressed to death. Here are 12 Salem witch trials facts that will send chills down your spine. The 1942 romantic comedy filmI Married a Witch, starring Veronica Lake and Frederic March, told the story of two witches from Salem placing a revenge curse on the descendants of their accuser. 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 By late February 1692, when traditional medicines and prayers failed to cure the girls, the reverend called upon a local doctor, William Griggs. The Salem trials also went on to become a powerful metaphor for the anticommunist hearings led by U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare of the 1950s, famously in the form of Arthur Millers allegorical play The Crucible (1953). In late May 1692, Sir William Phips, the first royal governor of Massachusetts established the criminal court to conduct the Salem witch trials. That May release included Elizabeth Proctor, who had been found guilty of witchcraft in August of the previous year and sentenced to death,but had her execution postponed due to pregnancy. Just when did the Salem witch trials take place in the timeline of American history? How many people were killed during the Salem witch trials? Here are 10 things you need to know about the notorious witch trials. Children were also accused of witchcraft. Another famous incident from the trials was the case of John Proctor. Soon after, other girls including Anne Putnam, Jr., 12, and Elizabeth Hubbard, 17, also started showing similar symptoms. After months of trials, the governor finally decided to put an end to the trials with the last trials being held in May of 1693. 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. His sixth great grandson was Walt Disney. Jeff Wallenfeldt, manager of Geography and History, has worked as an editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica since 1992. 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. When the first accusations of witchcraft began in Salem Village, they initially targeted women. In February, unable to account for their behaviour medically, the local doctor, William Griggs, put the blame on the supernatural. Mid-February- After a month of fasting, prayer, and home remedies, Betty and Abigail have not improved. Between February 1692 and May 1693, colonial Massachusetts was the scene of a mass hysteria sparked by false accusations from several young girls. In June 1692, Governor Phips appointed Stoughton as chief judge and prosecutor in the Salem witch trials despite Stoughtons lack of legal experience. Descendants of the Salem community have made constant efforts to clear the names of those ancestors and relatives who were falsely accused and convicted back in the 1690s, with some being officially recognized as innocent by the Massachusetts government as recently as the beginning of the 21st-century. What gave witches away were body marks, such as scars and moles. No, it doesnt sound that romantic or comic to me either. 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! Just when did the Salem witch trials take place in the timeline of American history? In May of 1693, Phips released from prison all remaining accused or convicted witches. Around the same time, in Salem Village, village girls accused a man of tormenting a different dog with his evil spirit. 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. Mysteriously, in 1692, the reverend's 9-year-old daughter, Elizabeth (aka Betty), and 11-year-old niece, Abigail, began having fits. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraftthe devil's magic and 20 were executed.. Another more disturbing theory proposed by researchers like behavioral psychologist Linnda Caporael suggests that Salem suffered from ergot poisoning. 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. Large rocks and boulders were then laid on the planks, which slowly crushed him., After Governor Phips put an end to the witch trials, many involved in the proceedings expressed guilt and remorse about the events that occurred, including judge Samuel Sewall and the governor himself.