Another reason why it sucked that these trials took place before the Bill of Rights existed? From 1671 to 1687, he served on the Counsel of Assistants, a judicial and rule-making body for the colony. When he stopped being paid altogether, he left Salem. Another executed man was John Proctor, a wealthy farmer who spoke out against the witch trials, particularly after his wife Elizabeth had been arrested for witchcraft. In October 1692, a girl in Andover accused a neighbors dog of trying to bewitch her. Get ready to pull out your history books as we bring you the most DISTURBING facts about the Salem Witch Trials. For everyone who remains intrigued by Salem, here are a few lesser-known facts about the witchcraft trials. One man, Giles Corey, was killed over three days as increasingly heavier rocks were set atop his body. Corrections? Between February 1692 and May 1693 in current day Massachusetts, more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft. It involved a woman by the name of Tituba, a most likely South American slave from Barbados, who was the first victim of Salems witchcraft accusations. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Credit where credit is due! Some three-fourths of those European witch hunts took place in western Germany, the Low Countries, France, northern Italy, and Switzerland. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it.Arthur Miller, in The Crucible. The most famous witch trial in history happened in Salem, Massachusetts, during the winter and spring of 1692-1693. A period of less than a year caused such turmoil that Salem, Massachusetts, is still widely known for the trials. Well, many workers and service providers will, Being a nurse isnt easy or ordinarybut these nurses had more difficult, and more bizarre,, Sometimes, you hear a story so wild that you heave a sigh of relief when, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex was the darling of Elizabeths old ageuntil he wasnt., Lets face it: Some people are just rude. The Salem trials occurred late in the sequence, after the abatement of the European witch-hunt fervour, which peaked from the 1580s and 90s to the 1630s and 40s. Credits: Danvers Lunatic Asylum: CHRONICLES- Danvers State Hospital | Danvers The girls contorted their bodies into odd positions, made strange noises and spoke gibberish, and seemed to be having fits. Children were also accused of witchcraft. At the time of the Salem Witch Trials, Abigail was living with her uncle, Reverend Samuel Parris, his daughter Betty Parris and Parris' slaves Tituba and John Indian. Move over Montagues and Capulets: You might not be the most vengeful families out there. The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local. Millers famous play about the Salem witch trials is called The Cruciblebut what is a crucible anyway? 10 Astonishing And Tragic Facts Of 17th-Century Salem. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The legacy of the trials has far outlasted their duration, even . She was an enslaved woman believed to have been from Central America, captured as a child from Barbados, and brought to Massachusetts in 1680 by Reverend Parris. However, after the dogs death, the local Minister reasoned that if the devil had possessed the dog, it would not have been so easily killed with a bullet. the devil's army against the Puritans, probably in an effort to protect herself from certain conviction by serving as an informant. It was carried out as such by Sheriff George Corwin. Now that Tituba had confirmed that satanic work was afootand that there were other witches aroundthere was no stopping until they were all found. In fact, there was fear in Europe that an entire group of evil witches were consciously attacking Europeans in order to destroy Christendom. The madness of the witch trials eventually resulted in 200 people accused of witchcraft, 140 to 150 arrests for witchcraft, and the hangings of thirteen women and six men. The first accusations during the Salem Witch Trials were against people who were for various reasons marginalized by society. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. Thanks for your help! They are fascinating as well as scary. Dont feel too embarrassed if you happen to be from Massachusetts, you guys were not the first to do something like this. 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. Check out the top history lists on the internet all in one place. 20 wereexecuted (generally hanged) by the prosecutors, and five died while serving prison time. Seventeenth century Salem also gave birth to stories of courageous stands for reason, hopeful births, and acts of clemency and mercy. The Salem Witch Trials, 1692 17th Century Pocahontas Saves John Smith, 1608 Aboard the Mayflower, 1620 The First Thanksgiving, 1621 The Price of Adultery in Puritan Massachusetts, 1641 Living Among the Mohawks, 1644 The Execution of Charles I, 1649 The Great Fire of London, 1666 Inside the Court of Louis XIV, 1671 New York City, 1679 Its name comes from the Anglo-French phrase oyer et terminer, which literally translates to hear and determine.. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. Spectral evidence refers to the description of harm committed by the specters of the accused, described by those who were bewitched [PDF]. The Putnams, a prominent family hed borrowed money from, sued Burroughs for unpaid debts and later accused him of witchcraft. Make sure to watch this video all the way to the end to see which crazy witchcraft fact made our top 10! Although Massachusetts has given up its fight against witchcraft, there are still places in the world where witchcraft is legitimately feared by the public, sometimes even leading to real modern day witch hunts. One man was pressed to death under heavy stones, the only such state-sanctioned execution of its kind. The grave of Martha Corey, the wife of Giles Corey . 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. By the end of the Salem witch trials, 19 people had been hanged and 5 others had died in custody. When all was said and done, 25 people lost their lives because of the trials. When Millers The Crucible was produced, it was in the aftermath of his feud with Elia Kazan, the man who had directed his two earlier hit plays All My Sons and Death of a Salesman. They found it by following clues in an accused witchs writings and through guesses on where prisoners would be transported. Photo Credit: https://bit.ly/39AhFc2 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. His vocal support for his wifewho was also accused of witchcraftand claims that the accusers were lying were among the possible reasons why suspicion fell on him as well. Although Giles was a wealthy farmer and Martha was a prominent church member, both of them had pasts they werent exactly advertising to the public. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. The hunts were efforts to identify witches rather than pursuits of individuals who were already thought to be witches. Mysteriously, in 1692, the reverend's 9-year-old daughter, Elizabeth (aka Betty), and 11-year-old niece, Abigail, began having fits. Even more interesting, the summer of 1692 was a dry one, and coincided with the apparent end of the bewitchments. Far more women than men were among the accused, convicted and executed. Here are 12 Salem witch trials facts that will send chills down your spine. Because of the similarity in time period, location, and story, people often mix up the Puritans with the Pilgrims, the group of Dutch settlers who created what we now know as the holiday of Thanksgiving. They screamed, made odd sounds, threw things, contorted their bodies, and complained of biting and pinching sensations. 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. Another famous incident from the trials was the case of John Proctor. Both Good and Osborn protested their own innocence, though Good accused Osborn. But the accusations didnt stop there. In addition to the twenty people convicted and executed for witchcraft, two dogs were also accused of and executed for the same crime. Interestingly, dogs role did not end here. Family History Proves Bewitching to Descendants of Salem Witches : Colonial America: Three Presidents, Clara Barton, Walt Disney, Joan Kennedy and One Unborn Child Are among Those Whose Ancestors Were Accused of Consorting with the Devil 300 Years Ago. Los Angeles Times. 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. George Burroughs, the Puritan minister, had nine children before being hanged. The community, beleaguered with hardships already, then overreacted. Despite their obvious Christian commitment, the early American Puritans actually banned Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1659, deeming it a sacrilege. The Court of Oyer and Terminer was established in June 1692 because the witch trials were overwhelming the local jails and courts. 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. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_of_the_Salem_witch_trials. The Salem Witch Trials, the events of 1692 in Salem Village which resulted in 185 accused of witchcraft, 156 formally charged, 47 confessions, and 19 executed by hanging, remain one of the most studied phenomena in colonial American history. The first witch trial occurred because the daughter (Betty Parris) and niece (Abigail Williams) of the local Salem Reverend had become violently ill.