The Salem Witch Trials The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials Belief in witches was almost universal at this time Less than 50 years before Salem crisis, several hundred people were executed in England or witchcraft, 90% of them women. In the colonies, witch trials took place in almost exclusively in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Even there, the trials were generally isolated incidents. More people were charged and executed for witchcraft during the Salem crisis than over the rest of American history. The typical witch was a woman, frequently middle-aged with few or no children and a reputation as a difficult personality. Some were poor outsiders, but as the crisis developed in Salem many of the accused were outside of the expected mold and powerful.

Salem Witch Trials • Began winter of 1691 -92 • Adolescent girls convinced Tituba, a 25 -year-old servant from Barbados, to conduct a ceremony to help them determine who their future husbands would be • The shape an egg white assumed in a caldron of boiling water would show the man’s occupation • The girls panicked when they thought they saw the shape of a coffin

The Salem Witch Trials Not long before the incident, some of the girls began peculiarly. Cotton Mather, an influential Puritan minister in Boston, had published a widely read description of demon possession. The chances that these girls had been exposed to it are good. Whether the symptoms were psychosomatic or intentional, the girls were soon the center of attention. In this culture, adolescent girls were the least powerful people in the community. They were often fostered out to learn domestic skills and obedience. Six of eight girls involved did not live with their own families.

The Accusers: Betty Parris • 9 years old • Mother was an invalid • Tituba was the Parris’ servant • Daughter of embattled village minister, Samuel Parris • May have identified her father’s enemies with the forces of Satan • Sent away and signs of possession stopped Abigail Williams • 11 year old cousin of Betty Parris • Orphan, living with the Parris family • Remained in Salem and continued to see witches

The Accusers Ann Putnam: • 12 -year-old • Daughter of Thomas and Ann • Family had been powerful in Salem, but their fortunes had ebbed • Became the leader of the girls when the accusation began • Mother also accused people of witchcraft Many scholars believe that the Putnam’s actually took control of the accusations and deliberately directed them toward their enemies. Eventually 8 members of this family would accuse 46 different people of witchcraft.

The Accusations Witches were believed to often work through mediums or familiars This tactic left the accused with no defense. If they were accused of an act of witchcraft, their absence from the scene was no defense. After all, a witch could dispatch a medium from any place to do her bidding

The First: Tituba, Sarah Osborne, Sarah Good Tituba: • 25 -year-old servant of the Putnam’s from Barbados • Imprisoned and kept in leg irons to keep her from flying away • Joined in the accusations to protect herself • Gave the authorities the type of information they needed to keep going Sarah Osborne: • Sickly, middle-aged woman who had been involved in a legal battle with the Putnams • Accused by Tituba and Abigail Williams of using a medium to threaten the Parris children • Died before being tried

The Accused Sarah Good: • a beggar, who often cursed the people she petitioned for food and money • Husband accused her of being “an awful wife” • Dorcas, 4 -year-old daughter, also accused and kept in leg irons with her mother. Released after 9 months, but remained mentally disturbed for life.

The Later Accused Martha Cory: • Respectable, but out-spoken woman who let it be known she thought accusations were hogwash • Accused by Ann, Jr. of using a medium to choke her • Ann claimed to see a yellow bird (another medium) “nursing” between Martha’s fingers • Ann, Sr. claimed to suffering at the hands of. Martha accompanied by Rebecca Nurse.

The Latter Accused Rebecca Nurse: • 71 year-old whose family had opposed the Putnams in a number of local battles • Main accuser was Ann, Sr. • Sick in bed when arrested • Sisters, Sarah Cloyce and Mary Easty also charged • One of the girls who was accusing Rebecca of pinching her was shown to be using a pin to inflict the pain on herself, Rebecca was found not guilty • When the girls fell into fits, the judge asked the jury to reconsider. They returned with a verdict of guilty. • Reprieved by governor, girls again became ill, and reprieved is retracted • Hanged with 4 other women in first mass execution in American history

The Others The girls began naming more and more powerful members of the community, including a number of men. • Geroge Burroughs—former minister in Salem, hanged as the witches’ ringleader • Giles Corey— 80 -year-old husband of Martha • Only person in American history punished by being pressed to death • George Jacobs--fiesty 80 -year-old accused by a servant • Elizabeth Proctor—wife of prominent man in Salem; ran the family tavern • John Proctor—accused and hanged

The End of the Matter The accused could save their lives by confessing witchcraft. More that 20 people chose to insist on their innocence and face death Many people were uncomfortable with executing based on visions seen only by the accusers. In January 1693, a year after the witch-hunt began the governor of Massachusetts forbade imprisonment or trial for witchcraft.