Facts About Salem Witch Trials

Whenever one thinks of Salem, the first thought that comes to mind is the land of witches and wizards, just like one would assume that vampires come from Transylvania. While the truth about the latter cannot be assured, the former belief does have some basis. The point in question are the famous Salem witch trials that led to the persecution of numerous 'afflicted' beings, and the eradication of many from the village in the Massachusetts colony, New England.

Events Leading to the Salem Witch Trials

In the year 1688, Reverend Samuel Parris was invited to Salem to preach in the local church. In November 1689, after being announced the official Village Minister of Salem, Reverend Parris moved to Salem with his wife, daughter Betty Parris, and niece Abigail Williams. His slave, Tituba, a Native American, was also brought along to Salem. All was well until the year 1692, when Betty (9) started behaving strangely, in that she got fits, stared into space, and hid under furniture. She experienced sharp pains and wailed as they were unbearable. While these may have been symptoms of a medical condition, it was in fact a doctor that suggested these conditions may have a supernatural origin because he could not pinpoint the actual cause of this condition. This faith was further confirmed when Abigail (11) started behaving in a similar manner.

Having been under English rule at the time, stories of witchcraft that prevailed in Great Britain became popular even in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. It was believed that witches used little girls as their medium to carry out the devil's orders. As such, the belief that the two girls were afflicted became stronger. Further, when Ann Putman (11) started portraying such behavior, it was confirmed that they were witches sent by the devil. The person to afflict them was believed to be Tituba, who would often relate tales of voodoo, omens, and witches to the young girls. On 29 February, 1692 the girls were forced to name the persons behind their condition, and Tituba was one of them, along with Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good (women who hadn't attended the church for over a year). These women were arrested, and thus began the Salem witch trials.

Facts and Fiction

The causes of Salem witch trials were many, but it was the aforementioned event that served as the last straw, and eventually led to the mass persecution of several individuals. In the following facts about these trials, you will be able to find details about the timeline of the same, and its eventual end. There are also a lot of myths about the trials that have been stated below.

Facts:

• As soon as the girls pointed fingers at the three women, they were arrested and interrogated.
• After strongly denying any association with witchcraft, Tituba finally confessed her responsibility for the condition of the two girls, after being severely beaten by her master and forced to confess.
• Tituba also confessed to having Sarah Good and Sarah Osborn involved in the process, but they vehemently denied this right until they were executed.
• A man named Giles Corey was forced to death as he refused to plead guilty to charges of practicing witchcraft.
• Soon, Ann Putman accused Martha Corey, a staunch church member, to be a witch, while Abigail Williams held Rebecca Nurse responsible for her condition.
• Dorothy Good, Sarah Good's 4 year old daughter, was also questioned. Because of her inherent fear while answering the questions, she was considered to be involved and was arrested and jailed for 8 months.
• Because so many fingers were being pointed, everyone was a suspect, and any 'unusual' behavior led to the belief that the person was a witch or a wizard. This led to over 200 people being accused of witchcraft.
• A court of Oyer and Terminer was ordered by Governor William Phipps, on May 27, 1692 to hear and decide respectively, the cases that were associated with the Salem witch trials.
• The first person to be brought to this court was Bridget Bishop, who after pleading not guilty was still believed to be accused. She was executed on June 1, 1692 at the Gallows Hill.
• Even 'spectral evidence' (dream visitations from witches, and sightings of people engaging in witchcraft in their dreams) was considered as a form of evidence against the accused for some time before it was banished.
• Based on such spectral and other 'evidence', 18 people were executed.
• In October 1692, execution on the basis of spectral evidence was prohibited.
• Soon Governor Phipps stopped arrests and executions, as his own wife was suspected of witchcraft. In fact, many witches were released for the lack of evidence.
• On October 29, 1692, the court of Oyer and Terminer was suspended. This was replaced by the Superior Court of Judicature that convicted only 3 from the 56 accused.
• In May 1693, all accused witches were pardoned and released from prison.
• There were however, several victims of the Salem witch trials. The trials forced 1 person to death, and led to the execution of 19 witches. 200 people were accused, and several lost their lives in prison.

Fiction:
As mentioned earlier, a lot of myths are doing the rounds regarding the Salem witch trials. For one, witches in Salem were not burned at the stake as is the common myth. This was a practice in Britain, while in North America, it was considered felony and punishable by death, which was conducted in the form of hanging. Further, while it was common belief that only young girls were accused of being witches, in fact, men were also accused of being wizards. The aforementioned case of Giles Corey is proof this fact.

The Salem witch trials came to an end when it soon began to be realized that too many respectable people were being accused of practicing witchcraft, which in fact, seemed a little bizarre. Eventually, those involved in the trials issued a public apology for such events and confessed error and guilt. The court trials were eventually deemed unlawful in 1702, and peace was restored in Salem. Those who were accused in the trials were restored with their original credibility, in the year 1711, and their heirs were given an amount of compensation. In the year 1957, a formal apology was issued by the government of Massachusetts for the trials and subsequent executions.

Several years later, studies conducted reveal that the unnatural behavior of the girls may have been the result of ergot poisoning at the time. However, shrouded in mystery, and yet to be completely validated, the Salem witch trials have generated a lot of interest worldwide. A Salem Witch Museum was specially constructed, that houses all important documents pertaining to the trials. Whatever the beliefs, this is an event that is deep-rooted in the minds of those belonging to this region, and the association of witches to Salem is one that cannot be ignored even in the present day.