The Beginning
It started out as a game. A group of girls including Mercy Lewis, Ann Putnam Jr., Abigail Williams, and Betty Parris learning about their nanny, Tituba's life on a tropical island. They learned about voodoo and witchcraft and fortune telling. The girls knew what they were doing was wrong, but the temptation was irresistible. This is how the Salem Witch Trials began and caused several people to accuse each other due to the fear of being accused of this terrible sin.
Samuel Parris, his wife, kids, and orphaned niece, Abigail Williams were moving to Salem Village. Samuel Parris was offered a job as a preacher. He did not want the job and it took him a huge paycheck, a slave and free firewood to take the job. But when the Parris family arrived, it was a harsh winter and they did not get the firewood as promised. Betty and Abagail soon got sick. They began bending in unnatural directions, shouting random things, and seeing things no one else could see.
The scared family took the girls to a doctor several times and every time they went, the doctor could not find a cause for this unusual illness. Soon the doctor came to the conclusion that the girls were bewitched. The family was scared because if the girls were bewitched, that meant that there was a witch in the town. And if there was a witch, that meant the devil was here in Salem Village.
The news spread around town quickly. Tituba thought it was her fault that the girls were sick. Tituba went to the neighbor next door and learned about a witch cake. She took the afflicted girls' urine and baked a rye cake and fed it to a dog. Dogs were believed to be agents that carried the Devil's plans. It didn't work.
Samuel Parris, his wife, kids, and orphaned niece, Abigail Williams were moving to Salem Village. Samuel Parris was offered a job as a preacher. He did not want the job and it took him a huge paycheck, a slave and free firewood to take the job. But when the Parris family arrived, it was a harsh winter and they did not get the firewood as promised. Betty and Abagail soon got sick. They began bending in unnatural directions, shouting random things, and seeing things no one else could see.
The scared family took the girls to a doctor several times and every time they went, the doctor could not find a cause for this unusual illness. Soon the doctor came to the conclusion that the girls were bewitched. The family was scared because if the girls were bewitched, that meant that there was a witch in the town. And if there was a witch, that meant the devil was here in Salem Village.
The news spread around town quickly. Tituba thought it was her fault that the girls were sick. Tituba went to the neighbor next door and learned about a witch cake. She took the afflicted girls' urine and baked a rye cake and fed it to a dog. Dogs were believed to be agents that carried the Devil's plans. It didn't work.
Court of Oyer and Terminer
The sickness spread to the other girls in the circle. They said that the girls acted like a group of juvenile delinquents. The adults put the girls through some heavy questioning before they accused three people. Those three people are Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba. Sarah Good was a homeless beggar who went door to door begging for scraps of food for her family. Sarah Osborne was a bedridden old lady who married her own servant and had not attended church in over a year. And Tituba was the Indian slave of Samuel Parris who came over to Salem from Barbados.
At the examination of the witches, more people were coming forward with tales of the women. There were claims of being attacked by their specters, or cheese and milk mysteriously going bad at their presence. And with the questions that were asked, it was obvious that the magistrates thought they were guilty. But there was no proof and they were getting nowhere. In fact, the women would have probably been released if it wasn't for Tituba confessing that she did it.
Tituba said she met a tall man who sometime appeared as a dog or a hog. He came to her and forced her to sign his book and do his work. She said she tried to tell Samuel, but the Devil blocked her from doing so. Not only did she confess to being a witch, she named four other witches including Good and Osborne. Everyone now believed there were witches in Salem, and the witch hunts began.
Tituba's Trial: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_TITX.HTM
Sarah Good's Trial: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_GOOD.HTM
The afflicted girls soon came forward with more names. Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Cloyce, and Mary Easty were now accused of witchcraft. Ann Putnam Jr. and Sr. soon pointed at Dorcas Good, Sarah Good's four year old daughter, and more villagers became afflicted. The jails were filling up quickly. A man exposed a way to get out of being hanged through a letter. Now everyone was confessing to being a witch and then accusing someone else. This strategy became used widely used throughout the trials.
Salem Village was in chaos when Governor Phips return from his trip in England. He heard about the jails full of witches and went into action. He started a new court called the "Court of Oyer and Terminer". He appointed five judges including Chief Justice William Stoughton. None of the judges had any legal training, and were mostly friends of the governor. They allowed spectral evidence, the touching test, and looked for witch marks. They also included evidence that would not be allowed in modern courts today, like gossip, stories, and unsupported assertions. The accused witch could not have a legal counsel, or witnesses on their behalf. But they could use their own evidence and convince the judges of their innocence.
At the examination of the witches, more people were coming forward with tales of the women. There were claims of being attacked by their specters, or cheese and milk mysteriously going bad at their presence. And with the questions that were asked, it was obvious that the magistrates thought they were guilty. But there was no proof and they were getting nowhere. In fact, the women would have probably been released if it wasn't for Tituba confessing that she did it.
Tituba said she met a tall man who sometime appeared as a dog or a hog. He came to her and forced her to sign his book and do his work. She said she tried to tell Samuel, but the Devil blocked her from doing so. Not only did she confess to being a witch, she named four other witches including Good and Osborne. Everyone now believed there were witches in Salem, and the witch hunts began.
Tituba's Trial: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_TITX.HTM
Sarah Good's Trial: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_GOOD.HTM
The afflicted girls soon came forward with more names. Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Cloyce, and Mary Easty were now accused of witchcraft. Ann Putnam Jr. and Sr. soon pointed at Dorcas Good, Sarah Good's four year old daughter, and more villagers became afflicted. The jails were filling up quickly. A man exposed a way to get out of being hanged through a letter. Now everyone was confessing to being a witch and then accusing someone else. This strategy became used widely used throughout the trials.
Salem Village was in chaos when Governor Phips return from his trip in England. He heard about the jails full of witches and went into action. He started a new court called the "Court of Oyer and Terminer". He appointed five judges including Chief Justice William Stoughton. None of the judges had any legal training, and were mostly friends of the governor. They allowed spectral evidence, the touching test, and looked for witch marks. They also included evidence that would not be allowed in modern courts today, like gossip, stories, and unsupported assertions. The accused witch could not have a legal counsel, or witnesses on their behalf. But they could use their own evidence and convince the judges of their innocence.
Hangings in Gallows Hill
Bridget Bishop was the first to be tried as a witch. Bridget owned a tavern that allowed drinking and the evil game of shuffleboard. She was known to not pay her bills and rude to her neighbors. She was most likely a witch, and that is why she went first.People told stories of her stealing eggs and then turning into a cat. Deliverance Hobbs and Mary Warren, both confessed witches, told the judges that she was one of them. Though she pleaded not guilty, it was no use because even before the trial, the judges already said she was guilty. Bridget was hanged June 10, 1692 at Gallows Hill.
Rebecca Nurse was next. Nurse was a respected member of the church. Her being considered a witch made everyone scared that almost everyone could be considered a witch. Both Ann Putnams' accused her of being a witch, but it just so happened that Rebecca and the Putnam Family were fighting with each other for a very long time. The jury said she was not guilty. The Putnam family was angry so they told the jury that soon after she told a man to not let his pig soot in her garden, the man died. The jury reconsidered and said she was guilty. On July 19, 1692 she was hanged in Gallows Hill with four other witches.
If you didn't believe that witches existed, you were believed to be a witch. John Proctor thought the witch trials were a fraud. So that caused Ann Putnam, Abagail Williams, Elizabeth Booth, and Tituba's husband, Indian John to accuse him. John fought back claiming that the witches who confessed lied about being witches and that witches didn't exist, which was true. And that the afflicted girls were also witches. But it was no use, John was also hanged in Gallows Hill. His wife Elizabeth, who was also convicted of being a witch, was spared due to being pregnant.
More people were accused of witchcraft. George Burroughs was a respected minister in Maine and a war hero, yet he was called the King of Hell and was hanged. Mary Easty gave an amazing speech to tell everyone of her innocence. It work and she was told to be not guilty. Only to have the Putnam family convince the judges to reconsider. She was guilty and like the other hanged in Gallows Hill.
Mary Easty's Speech: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_EASX.HTM
Giles Corey refused to go to court so they did a horrible punishment to make him go to court and speak. Giles was placed on his stomach on top of a rock. Then the people started placing heavy rock on top of him until he spoke, but he refused still and even asked for the rocks to be heavier so that his death would be quicker. Giles died a few days later. And then on September 22, 1692, eight other witch were executed including Giles' wife Martha, whom he tried to protect. They were the last of accused witches to be executed. And that is not counting the accused witches who died in prison from anything ranging from old age to being tortured by the jailers.
The stories were becoming more vivid and scary. Mercy Lewis, Ann's servant, was one of the lead story tellers. And she and the other girls would team up and accuse these people. The people would use the strategy and confess and then accused, or tell the truth and die.
Soon, the people of Salem Village were beginning to doubt the there were witches in Salem. They would wonder why so many respected people could be witches. Increase Mather wrote another book that said it "were better that ten suspected witches escape than one innocent person should be condemned." Increase partnered up with Samuel Willard and together they went to the governor with evidence that would end the trials. Willard found out that the devil could create a specter of an innocent person to harm or make the person look bad. Governor Phips took that into consideration and took away the touching test and did not allow spectral evidence in the court. He then released all of the remaining witches and stop the witch hunts.
It was still to late. Nineteen people were hanged and four people were known to die in prison. Giles was pressed to death and 200 accused witches were arrested. The damage was already done, but what could they do to fix it?
Tituba admitted that she was force to confess to witchcraft. Her master, Samuel Parris, said that he would not pay her way out of prison unless she confessed. Samuel Parris was later replaced as the minister with Thomas Green. Betty Parris was said to have been feeling better after living with her aunt. Samuel Sewall, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials, issued a public apology to the families of the convicted witches. Many of the afflicted girls also issued a public apology. it seemed like everything was going to get better.
You can see that the trials got worse because of the people being scared of being considered a witch. This was a religious group of people who believed that Satan was always close by. To be considered a witch was like a horrible insult at that time. So the only way to get out of it was to lie and confess and then accuse someone else of being a witch.
Rebecca Nurse was next. Nurse was a respected member of the church. Her being considered a witch made everyone scared that almost everyone could be considered a witch. Both Ann Putnams' accused her of being a witch, but it just so happened that Rebecca and the Putnam Family were fighting with each other for a very long time. The jury said she was not guilty. The Putnam family was angry so they told the jury that soon after she told a man to not let his pig soot in her garden, the man died. The jury reconsidered and said she was guilty. On July 19, 1692 she was hanged in Gallows Hill with four other witches.
If you didn't believe that witches existed, you were believed to be a witch. John Proctor thought the witch trials were a fraud. So that caused Ann Putnam, Abagail Williams, Elizabeth Booth, and Tituba's husband, Indian John to accuse him. John fought back claiming that the witches who confessed lied about being witches and that witches didn't exist, which was true. And that the afflicted girls were also witches. But it was no use, John was also hanged in Gallows Hill. His wife Elizabeth, who was also convicted of being a witch, was spared due to being pregnant.
More people were accused of witchcraft. George Burroughs was a respected minister in Maine and a war hero, yet he was called the King of Hell and was hanged. Mary Easty gave an amazing speech to tell everyone of her innocence. It work and she was told to be not guilty. Only to have the Putnam family convince the judges to reconsider. She was guilty and like the other hanged in Gallows Hill.
Mary Easty's Speech: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASA_EASX.HTM
Giles Corey refused to go to court so they did a horrible punishment to make him go to court and speak. Giles was placed on his stomach on top of a rock. Then the people started placing heavy rock on top of him until he spoke, but he refused still and even asked for the rocks to be heavier so that his death would be quicker. Giles died a few days later. And then on September 22, 1692, eight other witch were executed including Giles' wife Martha, whom he tried to protect. They were the last of accused witches to be executed. And that is not counting the accused witches who died in prison from anything ranging from old age to being tortured by the jailers.
The stories were becoming more vivid and scary. Mercy Lewis, Ann's servant, was one of the lead story tellers. And she and the other girls would team up and accuse these people. The people would use the strategy and confess and then accused, or tell the truth and die.
Soon, the people of Salem Village were beginning to doubt the there were witches in Salem. They would wonder why so many respected people could be witches. Increase Mather wrote another book that said it "were better that ten suspected witches escape than one innocent person should be condemned." Increase partnered up with Samuel Willard and together they went to the governor with evidence that would end the trials. Willard found out that the devil could create a specter of an innocent person to harm or make the person look bad. Governor Phips took that into consideration and took away the touching test and did not allow spectral evidence in the court. He then released all of the remaining witches and stop the witch hunts.
It was still to late. Nineteen people were hanged and four people were known to die in prison. Giles was pressed to death and 200 accused witches were arrested. The damage was already done, but what could they do to fix it?
Tituba admitted that she was force to confess to witchcraft. Her master, Samuel Parris, said that he would not pay her way out of prison unless she confessed. Samuel Parris was later replaced as the minister with Thomas Green. Betty Parris was said to have been feeling better after living with her aunt. Samuel Sewall, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials, issued a public apology to the families of the convicted witches. Many of the afflicted girls also issued a public apology. it seemed like everything was going to get better.
You can see that the trials got worse because of the people being scared of being considered a witch. This was a religious group of people who believed that Satan was always close by. To be considered a witch was like a horrible insult at that time. So the only way to get out of it was to lie and confess and then accuse someone else of being a witch.