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. Photos and Videos See All Videos and Images Related Topics and References Topics witchcraft 10 The Symptoms That Gave Witches Away Make No Sense At All All witches are women, but not every woman is a witch. The Witchcraft Trials in Salem: An Account. Famous Trials. They were eventually assumed to be possessed. 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. The community, beleaguered with hardships already, then overreacted. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. Make sure to watch this video all the way to the end to see which crazy witchcraft fact made our top 10! Get ready to pull out your history books as we bring you the most DISTURBING facts about the Salem Witch Trials. Even during the trials, there were many who objected to the whole procedure, even within the religious Puritan community. (There is uncertainty regarding the relationship between the slaves and their ethnic origins. The Court of Oyer and Terminer was established in June 1692 because the witch trials were overwhelming the local jails and courts. Tackling the same twisted subject as Stacy Schiff's much-lauded book The Witches: Salem, 1692, this Sibert Honor book for young readers features unique scratchboard illustrations, chilling primary source material, and powerful narrative to tell the true tale.In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Soon, others were accused and the courtrooms filled with people believed to be witches. They found it by following clues in an accused witchs writings and through guesses on where prisoners would be transported. 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. (The hallucinogen LSD is a derivative of ergot.) Move over Montagues and Capulets: You might not be the most vengeful families out there. Perhaps some training in the law would have constrained Stoughtons more extreme actions. Arthur Millers play The Crucible played a large role in popularizing many of the details of the Salem witch trials and dramatizing facts that he uncovered in historical records. 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. It was shut down on October 29, 1692. 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. Its sad to think that all of the trials and the numerous deaths could have been caused by ergot poisoning, and no one in the town had any idea. Sarah Good also gave birth to a daughter, Mercy, while in custody. The salem witch trials hysteria of 1692 was caused by the Puritans strict religious standards and intolerance of anything not accepted with their scripture. What is the legacy of the Salem witch trials? Tituba ultimately survived the saga and was not hanged. Learn about U.S. history, ancient Egypt, the deadliest wars, historical photos, and so much more. 02. They are fascinating as well as scary. 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! Many possible answers have been proposed, but one likely explanation is that they were suffering from some kind of natural medical afflictions. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Despite the Salem witch trials occurring centuries ago, researchers only just found the execution site for the trials in 2016. In addition to the twenty people convicted and executed for witchcraft, two dogs were also accused of and executed for the same crime. The people of Salem often ate rye bread,and in wet, swampy conditions (which Salem had at the time), rye can foster a fungus called ergot. While Miller maintained that he kept everything historically accurate, some have noted that he made changes to the real record for the sake of the play. The number of trials and executions varied according to time and place, but it is generally believed that some 110,000 persons in total were tried for witchcraft and between 40,000 to 60,000 were executed. Witches were considered to be followers of Satan who had traded their souls for his assistance. Many parallels have been drawn between the events of Salem and the tactics used by the government during the Red Scare of the 1950s, in which Senator Joseph McCarthy very harshly interrogated and went after anyone suspected of being a communist sympathizer. The late comedian Lucille Ball is a descendant of Rachel Vinson, who was acquitted in the witch trials. Thanks for your time! 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. Alexander, Mary Jane. 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. 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). Ms Mades-Byrd said there were many misconceptions about the Salem witch trials and the truth had been lost in stories told over the centuries. Around the same time, in Salem Village, village girls accused a man of tormenting a different dog with his evil spirit. Fourteen women and six men were executed for witchcraft, and five others died in prison during the trials. Good was imprisoned from March 24, 1692, to December 10, 1692. 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). Accessed May 6, 2021. https://famous-trials.com/salem/2035-sal-bphi. 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. 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. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Some of the families now only remembered for their connection to the trials had actually been important and well-known people before that. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. Many parallels have been drawn between the events of Salem and the tactics used by the government during the Red Scare of the 1950s, in which Senator Joseph McCarthy very harshly interrogated and went after anyone suspected of being a communist sympathizer. In late May 1692, Sir William Phips, the first royal governor of Massachusetts established the criminal court to conduct the Salem witch trials. During 1692, in the city of Salem, a little colony in Massachusetts, US, a horrifying trial started against several neighbors accused of witchcraft. Although Massachusetts has given up its fight against witchcraft, there are still places in the world where witchcraft is legitimately feared by the public, sometimes even leading to real modern day witch hunts. They had seizures, hid under chairs, talked in gibberish, and ran fevers. Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it.Arthur Miller, in The Crucible. Did you know this unbelievable witch trial fact: dogs were also major targets of the trials? Some of the attitudes in the Salem witch trials are still seen today. Thomas Maule, a Quaker who found himself at odds with the Puritan community at times, was beaten and imprisoned for speaking out against the trials, despite the fact that he himself believed in witches. Nineteen were hanged, and one-elderly Giles Corey-pressed to death. 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. No other mode of punishment was entertained by the Salem puritans. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. According to her death warrant, through her witchcraft, Bishop had caused bodily harm to five women, including Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott, and Elizabeth Hubbard. During the trials, two dogs were killed based on suspicions of witchcraft. On March 1 two magistrates from Salem Town, John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin, went to the village to conduct a public inquiry. Squabbles over property were commonplace, and litigiousness was rampant. 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! Witches could change from human to animal form or from one human form to another. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. It seems that a shocking number of accusations were made by members of the Putnam family. Villagers shot the dog immediately. Learn all about secret burials, door to door witch hunters, the touch test, the swimming test, and the witchcraft act that made all of this possible. They were during the Colonial times. Another more disturbing theory proposed by researchers like behavioral psychologist Linnda Caporael suggests that Salem suffered from ergot poisoning. This often led to panicked citizens pointing out their innocent neighbors, adding to the rising toll of victims. What gave witches away were body marks, such as scars and moles. The Multitude of Salem Witch Trials Descendants. New England Historical Society. 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. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Call them ignorant, call them malicious, the, Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it., 20 Brave Facts About the House of Gryffindor, 25 Money-Making Facts About Hollywood Industry, Hero to Zero Facts About Robert Devereux, The Rebellious Earl of Essex. No one was burned at the stake in the Salem witch trials. Spectral evidence was only deemed inadmissible when it was used to accuse Governor William Phipss wife, Mary. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraftthe devil's magic and 20 were executed.. He was stripped naked and covered with heavy boards. Parriss orthodox Puritan theology and preaching also divided the congregation, a split that became demonstrably visible when he routinely insisted that nonmembers of the congregation leave before communion was celebrated. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, andthe event still haunts us today. Not all of the accused witches who escaped hanging did so through the mercy of the governor. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/salem-witch-trial-descendants/. To identify witches, authorities used the "touching test", in which victims of witchcraft would become calm upon touching the culprit. Between February 1692 and May 1693, colonial Massachusetts was the scene of a mass hysteria sparked by false accusations from several young girls. Many citizens believed that they way witches will get you is by baking a cake. After Governor Phipss wife was accused, he again interceded and ordered that a new court be established that would not allow so-called spectral evidence. Here's what we know about the original witch hunt: 1. Millers famous play about the Salem witch trials is called The Cruciblebut what is a crucible anyway? 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. The town of Andover in northeastern Massachusetts, not Salem Village, had the highest number of accused (42 accused in Andover versus 26 accused in Salem Village).However, it was Salem Village where the witch trials were taken to such drastic lengths. My mom never told me how her best friend died. They began in 1692, a full 73 years before the start of the American Revolution and some 40 years before George Washington was even born. SALEM WITCH TRIALS CHRONOLOGY. After weeks of informal hearings, Sir William Phips, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, interceded to add some formality to the proceedings. 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. Parris, whose largely theological studies at Harvard College (now Harvard University) had been interrupted before he could graduate, was in the process of changing careers from business to the ministry. Spooky stories abound at the Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts. George Burroughs, the Puritan minister, had nine children before being hanged. Witches have been the origin of many myths and legends. Salem Witch Hunt begins - HISTORY While Miller maintained that he kept everything historically accurate, some have noted that he made changes to the real record for the sake of the play. 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.. There have been many other instances of this kind of phenomenon sincemost recently in an outbreak of alleged evil clown sightings across the continent and beyond in 2016.