But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I think in some forms that witches still exist in hidden arenas. I have all the other bibliographies from some other websites but I still need one from this one and I cant find it could you help me?? It was last edited on September 8, 2013 at 4:52 pm, Thank you, Rebecca, recently I have been down and this is a paper for a class Im failing, Thank you for helping me get an A, What is the publisher for this website? Native History & Indigenous Acknowledgement, The Journey from 1692 to Salems Modern Witch Community. Many modern theories suggest the girls were suffering from epilepsy, boredom, child abuse, mental illness or even a disease brought on by eating rye infected with fungus. Does that mean they couldnt have been practicing witchcraft? (Eds.). A flurry of accusations from girls with afflictions similar to those of Betty Parris and Abigail Williams resulted in an avalanche of arrests and prosecutions. All witches are women, but not every woman is a witch. This, coupled with the fact that the accused also had their estates confiscated if they were convicted has led many historians to believe that religious feuds and property disputes played a big part in the witch trials. When the first inquiry is made into the circumstances of such as may lie under the just suspicion of witchcrafts, we could wish that there may be admitted as little as is possible of such noise, company and openness as may too hastily expose them that are examined, and that there may no thing be used as a test for the trial of the suspected, the lawfulness whereof may be doubted among the people of God; but that the directions given by such judicious writers as Perkins and Bernard [be consulted in such a case]. Very well done! The less-than-thorough procedures of the Salem courtroom also prompted tighter, more rational legal processes that would later be enshrined in the US Constitution. 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. Can u imagine how her family must have felt after satan used them to kill all those people who had family members who had disagreed with them? Salem was ruled by English law at the time, which only allowed death by burning to be used against men who committed high treason and only after they had been hanged, quartered and drawn. One of the best known of the accused has been the focus of some conjecture regarding whether or not she was practicing folk magic, because she was believed to be a "fortune teller." The first case brought before the grand jury was that of Bridget Bishop, a woman around the age of 60 who faced a plethora of accusations: that she could pass through doors and windows without opening them; that she had made holes in the road suddenly open up, into which carts would fall before the holes would instantly disappear; that she had summoned a black pig with the body of a monkey and the feet of a cockerel. i would like to know more about the salem witch trials. In an insular society like Salem, where anyone straying from the norm was immediately criticised or condemned, accusations of witchcraft were a method of self-defence, of keeping the more undesirable elements of the local community at arms length, if not removing them completely. That same month, four more women were accused and arrested:Rebecca NurseMartha CoreyDorothy GoodRachel Clinton (from Ipswich). Europe, on the other hand, was super into dramatic flames. Hysteria was from little girls facin threat of death by torture. These five women Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Wildes were the among the first to be tried and found guilty of witchcraft during a bleak nine-month period of New England history simply recalled as the Salem Witch Trials. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed during the hysteria. And, of course, theres the theory that it was all down to good old fashioned spite. Only the intervention of Cotton Mather whonappeased the crowd with the observation that the devil had often been transformed into the Angel of Light ensured that the hangings continued as scheduled. Bishop had been accused of witchcraft years before but was cleared of the crime. They did so in order to gather the observations of the colonys most senior ministers, to hear their reflections upon the state of things as they then stood. The Salem witch trials were a series of prosecutions in which over 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. 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. 10. The witchcraft hysteria in Salem first began in January of 1692 when a group of young girls, who later came to be known as the afflicted girls, fell ill after playing a fortune-telling game and began behaving strangely. When James II, unspeakably Catholic, became the titular head of the Church of England (itself considered evil), it was proof that the mother country had come under diabolical control When James II created the Dominion of New England, ordering the New England theocracy to allow the C of E inside, it was the end of their holy mission in the wilderness. Related: Scary Stories: 10 Places For Stephen King Fans To Visit. This was a special type of court in English law established specifically to hear cases that are extraordinary and serious in nature. The Carringtons were indicted Feb. 20, 1651, and convicted and executed two weeks later, the only husband and wife to be accused, tried and hanged as witches. I think this was a great site and I also recommend the book the witches -salem, 1962 by stacey schiff. Where did theses trials take place were there anymore places then Massachusetts Bay. One person was pressed to death, and over 150 others were jailed, where still others died. Lines going back to Salem and Colonial New England in general are usually well documented. Witch hunts In the 300 years since the Salem Witch Trials, experts have gone to great lengths to offer explanations for the young Salem girls afflictions of a somewhat more rational nature than the witchcraft diagnosed at the time. Thanks hopefully i get an A :). Witchcraft had been made illegal during Henry VIIIs reign, with subsequent legislation passed under Elizabeth I further outlawing conjurations and enchantments. Even Sarah Goods four-year-old daughter Dorothy was arrested and interrogated by the magistrates. The Salem Witch Trials are a dark stain on American history and on the history of Christianity. Another five were executed exactly a month later on 19 August, four of whom were men. A newer, more anti-religious charter replaced the original one in 1691 and also combined the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony and several other colonies into one. I dont know what compromise youre referring to. The two communities were three hours apart, by foot, which was the most common method of transportation at the time. Warrants were issued by the dozen, sometimes for the arrest of the most unlikely suspects. What were the witch trials in Salem actually about and how did it all start? Another interesting fact about the witch trials is not everyone in Salem actually believed in witchcraft or supported the trials. When a young Lancastrian woman called Alison Device asked for a pin from a travelling peddler but was denied, the peddler apparently became immediately paralysed down his left side. The puritans, who had left England due to religious persecution, feared their religion was under attack again and worried they were losing control of their colony. North Wind Picture Archives, Alamy Stock Photo. The girls accusation was that Good had performed witchcraft on them. Add in the numerous films and television series that reference Salem, and things get even more distorted. At the center of the Salem witch trials were a core group of accusers, all girls and young women ranging in age from nine to 20, who screamed, writhed, barked and displayed other horrifying. The Salem witch trials began because a group of girls claimed they were possessed by the devil. Proctor told them about the torture inflicted on the accused and asked that the trials be moved to Boston where he felt he would get a fair trial. This really helped me on my essay, thank you so much. Presumptions whereupon persons may be committed, and, much more, convictions whereupon persons may be condemned as guilty of witchcrafts, ought certainly to be more considerable than barely the accused person's being represented by a specter unto the afflicted; inasmuch as it is an undoubted and notorious thing, that a demon may, by God's permission, appear, even to ill purposes, in the shape of an innocent, yea, and a virtuous man. If you want to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials, check out this article on the best Salem Witch Trials books. Massachusetts Archives Collection, vol. On July 23, John Proctor wrote to the clergy in Boston. Perhaps this question has something to do with the closure of the court of Oyer and Terminer, which was the special court established to hear the trials. This was so helpful for my project! Another notable person who was accused of witchcraft was Captain John Alden Jr., the son of the Mayflower crew member John Alden. An Account of the Life, Character, & C., of the Rev. On December 17, 1697, Governor Stoughton issued a proclamation in hopes of making amends with God. Boston, MA. Encyclopdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them. In February, Samuel Parris called for a doctor, who is believed to be Dr. William Griggs, to examine the girls. In May, as the number of cases grew, Governor William Phips set up a special court, known as the Court of Oyer and Terminer (which translate to hear and determine) to hear the cases. Was there some sort of compromise at the end? A secondary source would be a book, journal or article written long after the event by someone who didnt experience it first hand. Salem Village was populated mostly by poor farmers, and Salem Town was a prosperous port full of middle-class and wealthy merchants. The witch trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. Puritans walk through the snow-covered woods to get to church. Very interesting article; Im glad I came across it! There were many critics of the witch hunt, such as a local farmer John Proctor, who scoffed at the idea of witchcraft in Salem and called the young girls scam artists. Crown Publishers Inc., 1959. To identify witches, authorities used the "touching test", in which victims of witchcraft would become calm upon touching the culprit. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. I just found this out. The story is about Susannah English, daughter of accused witches Phillip and Mary English and friend of Ann Putnam, Jr. His diagnosis of bewitchment put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the hanging deaths of 19 men and women. In isolated settlements, in dim, smoky, firelit homes, New Englanders lived very much in the dark, where one listens more acutely, feels more passionately, imagines most vividly, where the sacred and the occult thrive. These five executions were not the first in New England for the crime of witchcraft. Here are 10 facts about the witch trials that will surely send chills down your spine. The Salem Witch Trials began in spring 1692 and lasted for seven months, during which more than 150 people where arrested, 19 were hanged and one was tortured to death. The pair had been bewitched. In Salem for example, the first significant victim of the witch trials was Tituba, a slave from the Caribbean. Ever since those dark days ended, the trials have become synonymous with mass hysteria and scapegoating. 1, pp. Before we get into the interesting facts about Salem and the Witch Trials, let's do a brief history of the Salem Witch Trials. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. and good job rebbeca! The Salem witch trials, which resulted in several deaths in 1692 in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts, have never been adequately explained. Salem was . But the particular brand of paranoia that was rife in Salem Village fed by a rivalry with neighbouring Salem Town, ongoing family feuds and attacks by Native Americans developed into mass hysteria. No one cared about minorities or "loners" anyway. When Nurse was first arrested, many members of the community signed a petition asking for her release. Although she wasnt released, most people were confident she would be found not guilty and released. This is really great. This is like the only website i found most helpful on Salem Witch Trial. It was not difficult for the people of Salem to believe they were involved in witchcraft. Kinda sad after reading everything. . Heres what I got if someone needed to use this for their biblyography. Just as true today as it was a few centuries ago, fearmongering really accelerated the accusations. Ergot is a fungus found in bread, and has the same effect as hallucinogenic drugs. After Bishops execution and the courts endorsement of the indictments against Rebecca Nurse and John Willard, a local constable who, doubting the allegations, refused to bring the accused to court the grand jury adjourned for almost three weeks. "Maleus Maleficarum Part I.". Unauthorized use is prohibited. Everything we know now about the trials comes from just a handful of primary sources of the Salem Witch Trials.