25 disturbing facts about the salem witch trials

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. Soon after, other girls including Anne Putnam, Jr., 12, and Elizabeth Hubbard, 17, also started showing similar symptoms. "Examination of a witch" by Tompkins Harrison Matteson (1853) The First Amendment has generally served to protect individuals for opinions that they have expressed, albeit not for violent or illegal conduct. Lets just, The Crucible (1996), Twentieth Century Fox, Salem (20142017), 20th Century Fox Television, I Married a Witch (1942), Paramount Pictures, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Festive Facts About Bing Crosby, The King Of Christmas, Stormy Facts About Sammy Davis Jr., The Worlds Greatest Entertainer, Sorrowful Facts About Alma Rubens, The Silent Film Siren, Daring Facts About Gina Lollobrigida, Golden Hollywoods Last Survivor. Their initial accusations gave way to trials, hysteria, and a frenzy that resulted in further accusations, often between the differing factions. The grave of Martha Corey, the wife of Giles Corey . The second slain dog was actually thought to be a victim of witchcraft whose tormentors fled Salem before they could be tried in court. This obviously meant that you must also be a witch. Maybe theres another reason that people still find themselves intrigued with the Salem witchcraft trials, besides the possibility of sorcery or the specter of mass delusions convulsing into violence. This caused her to be accused of conspiring on behalf of the witches, and eventually of being a witch herself. Despite the Salem witch trials occurring centuries ago, researchers only just found the execution site for the trials in 2016. Salem was . The dog was also supposed to then point to the people who had bewitched the victim. The litany of odd behaviour also mirrored that of the children of a Boston family who in 1688 were believed to have been bewitched, a description of which had been provided by Congregational minister Cotton Mather in his book Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions (1689) and which may have been known by the girls in Salem Village. When he stopped being paid altogether, he left Salem. Rebecca Beatrice Brooks Post author October 25, 2017 at 3:28 pm. Animals were the "familiar spirits" of witches. Villagers killed that second dog and sent the man fleeing for his life. Besides their descendants, the accused witches of Salem leave another legacy: a rich and fascinating history for us to explore today. Los Angeles Times, August 29, 1993. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-29-mn-29128-story.html. Top 10 Events In History Scarier Than The Salem Witch Trials Subscribe To Most Amazing Top 10: http://bit.ly/2Ibyk6iMost Recent Videos: https://www.youtube.c. Photo Credit: https://bit.ly/39AhFc2 The process of identifying witches began with suspicions or rumours. Massachusetts formally apologized for the witch trials in 1957something that Chief Magistrate William Stoughton never did. Courts relied on three kinds of evidence: 1) confession, 2) testimony of two eyewitnesses to acts of witchcraft, or 3) spectral evidence (when the afflicted girls were having their fits, they would interact with an unseen assailant - the apparition of the witch tormenting them). Spectral evidence refers to the description of harm committed by the specters of the accused, described by those who were bewitched [PDF]. Despite the Salem witch trials occurring centuries ago, researchers only just found the execution site for the trials in 2016. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. Looking back with the perspective provided by modern science, some scholars have speculated that the strange behaviour may have resulted from some combination of asthma, encephalitis, Lyme disease, epilepsy, child abuse, delusional psychosis, or convulsive ergotismthe last a disease caused by eating bread or cereal made of rye that has been infected with the fungus ergot, which can elicit vomiting, choking, fits, hallucinations, and the sense of something crawling on ones skin. 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. In 1635, Plymouth Colony made it a crime to "form a solemn compact with the devil by way of witchcraft." As late as the 19 th century, women were persecuted for cursing butter churns, making animals sick and causing people to die. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. One of the turning points in ending public support and enthusiasm for the trials was the conviction and execution of one of the towns former minsters, George Burroughs, who publicly recited the Lords Prayer at the gallows, which was believed to be impossible for witches to do. Witches were considered to be followers of Satan who had traded their souls for his assistance. It was carried out as such by Sheriff George Corwin. Witch trials had actually been a fairly common phenomenon in Europe during that period. Philip and Mary English Home, Site Of. Salem Witch Museum. Spectral evidence was only deemed inadmissible when it was used to accuse Governor William Phipss wife, Mary. Just when did the Salem witch trials take place in the timeline of American history? Salem Witch Trial Facts - Learn Religions Even more interesting, the summer of 1692 was a dry one, and coincided with the apparent end of the bewitchments. 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. 25 DISTURBING Facts About The Salem Witch Trials - YouTube One of the most popular points of view was that if you were against the trials, then you were, in fact, an advocate for the witches. (The hallucinogen LSD is a derivative of ergot.) It was believed that witches had animal helpers that could take almost any animal form and do their dirty work for them. 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. (Salem Witch Trials "History" published on November 4, 2011 and updated on October 5, 2021). So if witchcraft wasnt really happening in Salem, what actually caused those girls to have the fits? In fact, there was fear in Europe that an entire group of evil witches were consciously attacking Europeans in order to destroy Christendom. Salem witch trials Facts | Britannica 20 wereexecuted (generally hanged) by the prosecutors, and five died while serving prison time. Credit where credit is due! He was the first to suggest the girls may be under the evil influence of witchcraft. 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. But the accusations didnt stop there. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, These Jerks Had No Idea Who They Were Messing With, Stabbed In The Back: These Real-Life Betrayals Are Straight Up Brutal, "The Bride Kissed The Best Man" And Other Real-Life Wedding Disasters, Everyone Has A Limit: These Moments Made People Say Enough Is Enough, Bloody Facts About Ivan the Terrible, The Mad Tsar Of Russia. 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. Facts: -"At the time of these events Parris was in his middle forties." -"They did not celebrate Christmas, and a holiday from work meant only that they must concentrate even more upon prayer." -"The edge of the wilderness was close by. Part of the escalation of theSalem trials included investigators literally going door to door and asking homeowners to rat out any suspected witches in their midst. During 1692, in the city of Salem, a little colony in Massachusetts, US, a horrifying trial started against several neighbors accused of witchcraft. Tituba initially denied the claim that she was a witch, but notoriously later decided to confess that it was true and accused two other women as well in the process. Some of the attitudes in the Salem witch trials are still seen today. While there was no need to provide evidence for accusing someone of witchcraftjust pointing fingers was enoughspectral evidence was often used during the trials. She crafted a tale detailing how the devil had come to her and asked her to do his bidding. Two of the casualties were babies. Even some members of his congregation at the time wanted to see him dismissed from his pew in response to his aggressive prosecuting role in the episode. After months of trials, the governor finally decided to put an end to the trials with the last trials being held in May of 1693. 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. Spooky stories abound at the Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts. Not even ministers could escape. New England Witchcraft Trials: It Wasn't Just Salem Of the 20 people executed during the trials, six of them were men: Giles Corey, George Burroughs, George Jacobs Sr., John Proctor, John Willard, and Samuel Wardwell Sr. John Proctor was the first man accused of witchcraft. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. 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. Animals in the Salem Witch Trials. History of Massachusetts Blog, February 20, 2012. https://historyofmassachusetts.org/animals-in-the-salem-witch-trials/. This resulted in him being accused as well, and in the end it was he who was executed while Elizabeth was instead sentenced to prison so that her unborn baby would not have to die. Between 1692 and 1693, more than two hundred people were accused. The Salem Witch Trials (1692) Cartoon - YouTube (2:10) https://youtu.be/jJJLy5_DlqY Its time for a Halloween special! List three facts about each and three opinions. One person was even executed for refusing to testify at the hearings. In total, more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft and more than 150 were arrested. One dog was shot after a girl suffering from convulsions accused the dog of trying to bewitch her. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. As the weeks passed, many of the accused proved to be enemies of the Putnams, and Putnam family members and in-laws would end up being the accusers in dozens of cases. Several episodes of the original Bewitched TV series were actually filmed on location in Salem. Witches were people who followed Satan and traded their souls for his help. The origins of the Salem witch trials are long and complex, but we do our best to break down the most disturbing information about this task. Far more women than men were among the accused, convicted and executed. 20 wereexecuted (generally hanged) by the prosecutors, and five died while serving prison time. Even during the trials, there were many who objected to the whole procedure, even within the religious Puritan community. The Enemy of My Enemy. Fourteen women and six men were executed for witchcraft, and five others died in prison during the trials. For example, the infamous Putnam family had been one of the earliest settler dynasties to come to the Massachusetts Bay colony and establish themselves there. In addition to the twenty people convicted and executed for witchcraft, two dogs were also accused of and executed for the same crime. Despite their obvious Christian commitment, the early American Puritans actually banned Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1659, deeming it a sacrilege. The phrase witch hunt, commonly used to refer to an unjustified or falsely conjured-up prosecution, is thought to originate as a reference to this time period in American history. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. 7 Facts About The Salem Witch Trials - 7 Strange Things The first witch trial occurred because the daughter (Betty Parris) and niece (Abigail Williams) of the local Salem Reverend had become violently ill. So if you are a witch, no need to worry about this ever happening again! The feud was over the fact that Kazan had named communist sympathizers during his testimony to Congress. One of the people who perished in prison was only an infant. 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. 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. Thanks for your time! The Salem witch trials of the late 17thcentury were a formative episode in Americas early history, and have remained at the forefront of the national consciousness ever since. Salem witch trials, (June 1692-May 1693), in American history, a series of investigations and persecutions that caused 19 convicted "witches" to be hanged and many other suspects to be imprisoned in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Danvers, Massachusetts). Bridget Bishop, a woman considered to have questionable morals, was the first to be tried and executed during the Salem witch trials. Here are 12 Salem witch trials facts that will send chills down your spine. Tituba was not the only one who thought animals were capable of engaging in the devils work. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, andthe event still haunts us today. The Salem Witch Trials, 1692 - EyeWitness To History 5 Facts About the Real Salem Witch Hunt - History He brought to Salem Village his wife, their three children, a niece, and two slaves who were originally from BarbadosJohn Indian, a man, and Tituba, a woman. Another more disturbing theory proposed by researchers like behavioral psychologist Linnda Caporael suggests that Salem suffered from ergot poisoning. For example, the infamous Putnam family had been one of the earliest settler dynasties to come to the Massachusetts Bay colony and establish themselves there. Much of the evidence brought agains the witches, at least at first, was called spectral evidence, where people testified to seeing an apparition of the accused trying to inflict harm on them.