Episode 16: The Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials started in the early spring of Salem Village, Massachusetts in 1692. The rural Puritan community was constantly under threat from smallpox, Native American attacks, and they were still reeling from the aftereffects of the British war with France. It had been a rough New England winter and tensions were high. The villagers already resented one another and any outsiders, and these struggles are what helped fuel the hysteria around the witch trials.
In January of 1692, 9-year-old Elizabeth Parris and 11-year-old Abigail Williams began having “fits”. The fits involved outbursts of screaming, violent contortions and acting in ways that terrified their families, such as crawling around on the ground on all fours and barking like dogs. They were diagnosed by the doctor as having bewitchment. Soon, 11-year-old Ann Putnam became afflicted with the same symptoms, and other girls followed.
With the affliction came accusations, starting with the Parris’ slave Tituba. Tituba had spent the winter entertaining the girls with stories of her home and bits of magic, but this had led to her demise. Soon others were accused by “spectral evidence”, where a witness, often one of the afflicted, claimed they saw the spirit of the accused. This was used in court as it was believed that the devil could send spirits to lead religious people astray.
An elderly woman named Rebecca Nurse was convicted on spectral evidence after the girls claimed to see her soul flying around their rooms at night. Rebecca was kept in a cell weighed down by chains to try to keep her soul from further tormenting the girls.
The trials soon escalated, with the courts overwhelmed with witch cases and neighbors accusing one another. 19 people were hanged under the suspicion of being witches, and one man named Giles Corey was pressed to death. Pressing involved placing large stones on top of someone as they were strapped down, adding more weight until the person confessed or was slowly crushed to death.
The trials dwindled in October of 1692 as public opinion began to oppose the acts. By their end in May of 1693, over 200 people were accused of witchcraft, 20 people were executed and several more died in jail.
The memorial for the 19 hanging victims stands in Salem, Massachusetts as remembrance for the hysteria and the horrible acts that resulted. Their names are Bridget Bishop, Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, Susanna Martin, Elizabeth Howe, Sarah Wildes, Reverend George Burroughs, John Proctor, John Willard, George Jacobs Sr., Martha Carrier, Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott, Martha Corey, Wilmont Read, Samuel Wardwell, and Mary Parker.
Image sources:
salem.org - “Salem Witch Trials of 1692”
photo taken on 35mm film by Katie