The Guilty: The Salem Witch Trials

In that time frame more than two hundred people were accused of Witchcraft, and twenty people were executed based on the claims of others that they were using the Devil’s Magic. The whole scenario began in 1689, in the aftermath of King William’s War when refugees were funneled down into Salem creating a strain on the people and the economy in the town. This began the belief that all of the problems they were facing was the work of the devil. One key person is Reverend Samuel Parris, whose daughter Elizabeth, was one of the first accused of witchcraft, along with his niece, Abigail, and later Ann Putnam. All three girls experienced fits and a doctor blamed the supernatural for them. On February 29, 1692 the girls pointed their fingers to Tituba, the Parris’ Caribbean slave, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne. Following these three claims was another woman, who was part of the church, Martha Corey. Once she was accused the idea was spread that anyone could be a witch, and the hunt began. In May of 1692, Governor William Phipps established a special court, The Court of Oyer, that people were to be tried in for witchcraft. The first woman who was brought to the court was Bridget Bishop, who claimed her

The affected girls were accusing the most likely culprits. Powerful and wealthy families were blaming the less fortunate. According to Jenrette, one well-known family feud at the time was of the Putnam family and the Nurse family. Ann Putnam, age twelve, accused Rebecca Nurse of being a witch. The Nurse family was working towards owning about three hundred acres of land while being targeted by the Putnam family (Jenrette n. pag.). The family’s progress stopped abruptly after Rebecca Nurse was accused of being a witch. Jones stated by the time the trials were over, more than one hundred and fifty people had been accused of being witches. Looking back in history, most of the colonists were accused because they were older, poor, and in family

Massachusetts Bay Colony, first settled into in 1630, was overwhelmingly controlled by Puritans. Their goal was to establish colonies based on the word of God. Salem, like many other towns at the time, had little distinction between church and state and focused all aspects of their society on God. (Roach) Due to these conditions, Salem became the site of the largest and most violent witch hunts in America. The significance of the trials comes from the large impact they had on American law. The conditions before, during, and after the Salem Trials were unlike the witch hunts in any other colonies in the New World or in Europe. However, towns and cities being struck with fear of the Devil were a common occurrence throughout the sixteenth century.

Betty, Samuel's daughter, thought she had become afflicted from the wrath of a witch so she made Tituba help her in preparing a "witchcake" which was simply rye and Betty's urine. This cake was then fed to a dog in hopes of learning the identity of the person tormenting Betty. Sooner or later, Samuel got wind of the use of witchcraft in his household and became enraged. He beat Tituba until she confessed that she indeed was a slave and was teaching Betty her ways.<br><br>Tituba was the first to confess for one reason: to avoid further punishment. By admitting her guilt, Tituba could then name other witches, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne, and come away from Salem with her neck intact. She spent thirteen more months in prison until an anonymous person paid her bail and bought her. There has been no record of her existence since.<br><br><b>Cotton Mather</b><br>A religious leader of New England and authentic follower of witchcraft, Cotton Mather led the army of righteous judges to convict dozens of innocent people of something they only read about. It seemed extremely convenient that three of the five judges on the court of oyer (to hear) and terminer (to decide) were Cotton's friends. He wrote letters telling how evidence should be weighed and basically ran the trials from his own home.<br><br><b>Giles Cory</b><br>Of the witches accused in Salem, Giles Cory is the only one to refuse to stand trial. Unfortunately, this determination cost him his life. Of

In the start of something new, the Salem witch Trials brought distress and panic to the town of Salem,

In January 1692 the Puritan communities of Salem Town and Salem Village found themselves under attack by unknown assailants. Tales of witchcraft, ghost, and blood bonds with the Devil run rampant. Could it be that these God-fearing men, women, and children are now living within the Devil’s playground; or is something more sinister at work? Many saw these attacks as a battle for the eternal souls of their neighbors. Others saw an opportunity to exact revenge against those that had done them wrong. Regardless of the motivation, the Salem Witch Trials proved to be a dark stain upon the history of Massachusetts.

The Salem Witch Trials was a series of investigations and persecutions that led to nineteen so called “witches” to be convicted and hung and others to be imprisoned. It started June of 1692 and lasted until May 1693, in a Salem village in the Massachusetts bay colony which is now known as Danvers, Massachusetts. It involved the Puritan community of the Salem village, the nine-year-old daughter of the Reverend Samuel Parris her name was Elizabeth Parris, his eleven-year-old niece Abigail Williams, a friend of the girls eleven year old Ann Putnam, Parris’s slave Tituba, a homeless lady named Sarah Good, and an elderly lady name Sarah Osborn, the trial occurred when Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams fell sick and started having unusual spells that consisted of them yelling, throwing things, making strange noises and bending their bodies in strange positing and regular medicine could not cure them of these spells. They called a local minister to come and observe the young girls while they were having these unusual spells and he later diagnosed them will being “bewitched”. The Salem witch trials were a long year of trials, where there were three ladies being accused of witch craft, many accusations were made during the trial and ended with many people being convicted and hung while others were imprisoned. So, what exactly happened during the trial?

The story of the Salem Witch Trials is a sad and convoluted one that shows the impact of supposition spun out of control. What began with the mysterious symptoms exhibited by a few young girls eventually over took the entire community. As pressure was placed upon the accused and the accusers more were drawn into the affair some used it as a convenient opportunity to settle other scores under the guide of saving the community from witchcraft.

The Salem Witch Trials have gone down in history as a very brutal and cruel time, due to the fact that several innocent people were convicted and murdered because of false accusations. Today we look back on the trials seeing that it has not only affected our mentality, but incredibly so, our government as well.

After an alleged sight of a possible witch gathering in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, a witch hunt soon began, keeping all citizens on edge. Reverend Parris’s daughter, Betty, falls ill, after being caught dancing in the woods with his maid Tituba and Abigail Williams the night before; the strange case that lies with the ill Betty and Ruth Putnam doesn’t help ease the other citizen’s nerves. It is then revealed that the witch gathering was the doing of Abigail Williams. When questioned about the events of that what really happened that night, Abigail is quick to blame Tituba, Parris’s slave from Barbados. Abigail even goes to cite her past actions, such as laughing during prayers, as Tituba’s doing. In order to plead away with her own innocence,

Could something like The Salem Witch Trials happen again? My answer is yes. The Salem Witch Trials started in the spring of 1692 when a group of girls claimed to be possessed by the devil. The village began fasting and praying to try and rid them from the devils influence in the month of February. Over time, more girls started to act possessed which only gave people more of a reason to believe in witches. The girls accused many local women in the Salem Village of preforming witch craft. During the month of March, many women were examined, charged or killed, if accused of being a witch. Victims of the witch hunt experienced different death penalties. Nineteen were hung, one had been crushed to death under the weight of stones, and many died

John Winthrop, an English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony, once said “We shall be as a City Upon a Hill.” In 1921, the Puritans migrated to the colonial New England, fleeing from religious persecution, and in search of a new beginning. They settled in isolated colonies that were previously occupied by the Native Americans. In 1692, Massachusetts was an isolated but growing Puritan community with educated who wanted to set an example for the world to see. Though they had moved on from the England, they were still tied to the English laws and regulations, English laws on witchdom “required systematic and rigorous procedures to be followed,” (Pg. 1, Salem Witchcraft, Lori Wilson) which included, evidence, hearing, and trials though a jury process. Between 1693 and 1695, over 200 trials were held to prosecute Salemites of witchcraft and the trials led to 20 executions. The dateline of Salem, 1692 is so fascinating that it is still talked about in twentieth century and there are at least 500 books, countless movies and plays are still being made.

The Salem Witch Trials began in the Spring of 1962. A group of young girls claimed that they were possessed by the devil and began accusing a few women of practicing witchcraft. “Elizabeth Betty Parris and Abigail Williams began throwing fits, including violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming” (History.com). They were examined by the local doctor, William Griggs. He diagnosed them to be afflicted by “the devil’s hand” (Ray, 81). Soon after they were diagnosed, “other girls in the community started showing these same behaviours, including Ann Putnam Jr., Mercy Lewis, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Walcott and Mary Warren” (History.com).

Belief and fear of the supernatural has been around since Adam and Eve. The regularity of the witch trials began in the 14th century and was still widespread throughout both Salem Town and Salem Village in 1692. Salem Town was a busy port city, whereas Salem Village was small and agriculturally oriented. Its population consisted of about 500 people. The famed Salem Witch Trials began in Salem Village when the new church minister Samuel Parris’ daughter and niece became sick. nine-year-old Betty Parris and eleven-year-old Abigale Williams, would writh on the ground, scream uncontrollably, and complain of fever, and of being pinched and bitten sporadically. The local doctor, William Griggs, failing to explain their symptoms, blamed their sickness on the supernatural. The family’s slave, Tituba, was told by a neighbor to bake a cake made from the victim’s urine and feed it to the family dog. Dogs at that time were thought to be the devil’s instruments. Meanwhile eleven-year-old Ann Putnam, seventeen-year-old Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott, playmates of Betty, began showing similar symptoms. Doctor Griggs examined them and claimed they also were plagued by the supernatural. The widespread belief that witches targeted children made the doctor's diagnosis seem increasingly feasible. Suspicion and blame in the village turned to Tituba because the stories of voodoo, omens, and folklore she brought from her homeland, as

Ever since the dark days of the Salem Witch trials, multiple cases of witchcraft were brought to light enforcing Salem to jail and kill those who were claimed to be witches with hysteria. In the Massachusetts Bay Colony throughout the 17th century, many afflicted girls accused victims Sara Good, Tituba, and Sara Osborne of enacting witchcraft practices (Brooks, 2011). However, these victims of such hysteria