Legal Legacy of the Salem Witch Trials. A child pointed to a dog and said it bewitched me and shot the dog immediately. The hysterical behaviour was an unconscious outlet for rebellion, a release valve for the pressure that the threat of eternal damnation put them under. And this was for a people who saw themselves as ordered by God to build their shining City on a Hill. Other evidence used in the trials included confessions of the accused, possession of certain items such as poppets, ointments or books on the occult, as well as the presence of an alleged witchs teat, which was a strange mole or blemish, on the accused persons body. During Titubas examination, she made a shocking confession that she had been approached by Satan, along with Sarah Good and Sarah Osburn, and they had all agreed to do his bidding as witches. The other most notorious case of witchcraft in England came during the British Civil Wars when Matthew Hopkins the son of a Puritan clergyman and the self-styled Witch Finder General scoured East Anglia in search those suspected of making covenants with the Devil. Does anyone know who was the last one to be accused of witchcraft and died , all she did was healing and someone who she knew turned her in. Nige Tassell is a freelance journalist specialising in history, This content first appeared in the January 2016 issue of BBC History Revealed, Save up to 49% AND your choice of gift card worth 10* when you subscribe BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed PLUS! Well, Sharis, the Salem Witch Trials are quite complicated and cant be accurately summed up in a short article. The bibliography at the bottom of this article list a number of secondary sources. Then they even do a greater injustice by not only torturing folks in prison but hanging 19 of them and then putting rocks on a 71 year old man until he died because he would not state he was guilty or innocent (some old English law if accused refused to make a plea). How could so many people believe the afflicted girls without no real evidence. I know that the accusers, at least some of them were aligned with the Putnam family who was known to have land disputes with several of the villagers. They were a means of crowd control that gave way to changes in power structures. "The Salem Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History". According to USLegal.com, Spectral evidence refers to a witness testimony that the accused person's spirit or spectral shape appeared to him/her witness in a dream at the time the accused person's physical body was at another location. No way to fight its power. Web. What were the witch trials in Salem actually about and how did it all start? These sources include official court records as well as several books, diaries and letters written by the various people involved in the trials. It all began in 1692 and 1693 when Salem in the United States . 15 Dark Truths You Didn't Know About The Salem Witch Trials. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. In November of 1991, Salem town officials announced plans for a Salem Witch Trials Memorial in Salem. Corey was accused of witchcraft in April during his wifes examination. Court of Oyer and Terminer Judges:Jonathan CorwinBartholomew GedneyJohn HathorneJohn RichardsWilliam Stoughton, Chief MagistrateSamuel SewallNathaniel SaltonstallPeter SergeantWaitstill Winthrop, The number of people accused and arrested in May surged to over 30 people:Sarah DustinAnn SearsArthur AbbottBethiah Carter SrBethiah Carter JrMary WitheridgeGeorge Jacobs SrMargaret JacobsRebecca JacobsJohn WillardAlice ParkerAnn PudeatorAbigail SoamesSarah BuckelyElizabeth ColsonElizabeth HartThomas Farrar SrRoger ToothakerMary ToothakerMargaret ToothakerSarah ProctorMary DeRichSarah BassettSusannah RootsElizabeth CarySarah PeaseMartha CarrierElizabeth FosdickWilmot ReddElizabeth HoweSarah RiceJohn Alden JrWilliam ProctorJohn Flood. It was not difficult for the people of Salem to believe they were involved in witchcraft. When asked who it was that had afflicted them, they named Good a homeless woman who had fallen destitute after denying the inheritance of her wealthy fathers estate as one of the three culprits. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. He is recorded to have recited a prayer uttered with such composedness from many, so that it seemed to some that the spectators would hinder the execution. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. A total of 19 accused witches were hanged at Proctors Ledge, near Gallows Hill, during the witch trials. Both, like Good, were viewed as outcasts by the local community; Tituba for her race and Osborne for the shedding of any religious beliefs she might once have held. Learn all about the origin, history, and significance of the Salem witch trials. Bettys alarmed father, the Reverend Parris, immediately called on a doctor to examine the girls. It was divided into two distinct and very different socioeconomic parts. Nige Tassell explains how hysteria in the village of Salem, Massachusets, gave rise to a horror that bedazzled the world. Good and Osbourne insisted they were innocent. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Lets look at some important historical evidence that people often forget about the Salem witch trials. When was this site last edited? We cannot but, with all thankfulness, acknowledge the success which the merciful God has given unto the sedulous and assiduous endeavours of our honourable rulers, to detect the abominable witchcrafts which have been committed in the country, humbly praying, that the discovery of those mysterious and mischievous wickednesses may be perfected. This site helped a lot for me to understand the history of Salem. It was last updated Sept 4, 2016. Corey, a woman who, in her own words, had made a profession of Christ and rejoiced to go and hear the word of God, had drawn the attention of the prosecutors by offering the opinion that the accusers were just poor, distracted children. One of the most popular theories as to what could have caused the mass hysteria of Salem in 1692 is that of ergot poisoning. In 1711, the colony passed a bill restoring some of the names of the convicted witches and paid a total of 600 in restitution to their heirs. The Story of the Salem Witch Trials - Bryan F. Le Beau 2016-05-23 Between June 10 and September 22, 1692, nineteen people were hanged for practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. Then after said the dog died so it must have been innocent. This is like the only website i found most helpful on Salem Witch Trial. The eight-point response, penned by Cotton Mather, advised prudence when it came to procedure, cautioning that hastiness shouldnt overwhelm lawfulness. Get 6 issues for 19.99 and receive a 10 gift card* PLUS free access to HistoryExtra.com, Save 70% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $49.99 + FREE access to HistoryExtra.com. How were the 2 dogs killed during the salem witch trials? I find this to be very well put and want to read more. I edit the site in general pretty much every day. A large brick building now stands on this spot with a memorial plaque dedicated to the old jail. All witches are women, but not every woman is a witch. The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology. His grandfather is a Putnam. It is voluminous and comes in paperback and hardcover. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom were executed by hanging (14 women and five men). The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schnauzer. This was no more notable than when playwright Arthur Miller chose to dramatise the trials in his 1953 play The Crucible. The European witch trials took place in the 15th century. Seemed like there was alot of hate towards one another just for being different. Or maybe it was the 1711 bill that cleared the names of the accused witches. (University of Kansas, 1997). This article was last updated on Nov 22, 2015. A fear-ridden society always finds scapegoats. This was the name that was given to the evil spirits that were supposedly floating around the witches while they practiced their dark arts. The initial article took me a few days to write and then I have been slowly adding to it and expanding it over the years. Planting, cultivating, the care of houses, barns, roads, fences, were all forgotten. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. When it came to religion, Salem Village was as devout as any other settlement in the area; one visitor observed that the residents of New England could neither drive a bargain, nor make a jest, without a text of Scripture at the end of it. The devil had won. I was wondering if there was a written document or agreement signed that ended the trials. In January 1692 Salem Village was dealing with a lot. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. What was this witchery actually about and how did it all start? The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem. Soon, prisons were filled with more than 150 men and women from towns surrounding Salem; their names had been cried out by tormented young girls as the cause of their pain. Very interesting article; Im glad I came across it! Those who lived nearer to Salem Town engaged in commerce and were seen as a bit more worldly. "Reproducing Witchcraft: Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live". No one was burned at the stake in the Salem witch trials. Im trying to get my family to visit there- Id even give up my beach trip for it! Secondary sources would be Charles Uphams book Salem Witchcraft which was published in 1867, Emerson Bakers book A Storm of Witchcraft which was published in 2014 and etc. Warrants were issued by the dozen, sometimes for the arrest of the most unlikely suspects. When was this last edited? The court didnt believe them, and found all three women guilty of practicing witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials occurred in the settlement of Salem in colonial Massachusetts in 1692 and 1693, and resulted in the executions of twenty people accused of witchcraft, most of them women. I need to do a bibliography, and I have this page on it. They should've told the US it was all fake once they came to their senses, but they didn't. 82 (Boston: Wright and Potter, 1902), pp. Smithsonia, 8 Sept. 2013. One theory which could explain the apparent madness of the trial and judicial hangings may be found in the bread the settlers were eating. I dont know what compromise youre referring to. By May 1693 . The Salem witch trials started with two girls having unexplainable fits. It is pretty sad. The infamous Salem witch trials lasted for approximately one year. Thirteen womenand five men from all stations of life followed her to the gallows onthree successive hanging daysbefore the court was disbanded by Governor William Phipps in October of that year. Do you have a version number for this site? In August of 1992, on the 300th anniversary of the trials, the Salem Witch Trials Memorial was unveiled and dedicated by Nobel Laureate Eli Wiesel.