The Execution of Salem Witches
Natasha Lacroix
Mrs Walker
EAE2D
April 22 2013
The Execution of Salem Witches In Salem during the year 1962, nineteen people were executed due to witchcraft. During this period, 188 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Out of these 188 people, 59 were tried, 31 of them were convicted and nineteen of the 31 that were convicted were then all hung at Gallows Hill. In the seventeenth century it was normal procedures to have people corrected or even execute people who were a threat to the town of Salem because everyone thought it was okay to have people corrected for their wrong behaviour and to a point that their punishment could have been an execution. Were the ways to prove that the accused witches were innocent really accurate? They had five different ways to prove they were innocent. They had to recite a prayer, get checked for any marks on their bodies and the last three ways were to get a testimony of the accused witches, a confession or any evidence.
The first way to prove they were not witches was to recite the Lord’s Prayer. If they were unable to recite the prayer it was thought that the Devil was among them and had taken their tongue so they could not speak the Lord’s words. During these trials, George Burroughs was the only minister to be executed during his trial he was told t recite the Lord’s Prayer. He was unable to recite it but moments before he about to be hung in front of everyone he was able to recite the prayer. Everyone had been convinced that he was not guilty until the minister Cotton Mathers told everyone that it must have been the Devil helping him to make George Burroughs look innocent when he was really not. Unfortunately, he was still hung not too long after. This incident made it look like everyone who was able to recite it after this incident look guilty as well. What they were trying to show everyone is that they were guilty either way. If they were able to recite it they were guilty and also if they were unable
Mrs Walker
EAE2D
April 22 2013
The Execution of Salem Witches In Salem during the year 1962, nineteen people were executed due to witchcraft. During this period, 188 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Out of these 188 people, 59 were tried, 31 of them were convicted and nineteen of the 31 that were convicted were then all hung at Gallows Hill. In the seventeenth century it was normal procedures to have people corrected or even execute people who were a threat to the town of Salem because everyone thought it was okay to have people corrected for their wrong behaviour and to a point that their punishment could have been an execution. Were the ways to prove that the accused witches were innocent really accurate? They had five different ways to prove they were innocent. They had to recite a prayer, get checked for any marks on their bodies and the last three ways were to get a testimony of the accused witches, a confession or any evidence.
The first way to prove they were not witches was to recite the Lord’s Prayer. If they were unable to recite the prayer it was thought that the Devil was among them and had taken their tongue so they could not speak the Lord’s words. During these trials, George Burroughs was the only minister to be executed during his trial he was told t recite the Lord’s Prayer. He was unable to recite it but moments before he about to be hung in front of everyone he was able to recite the prayer. Everyone had been convinced that he was not guilty until the minister Cotton Mathers told everyone that it must have been the Devil helping him to make George Burroughs look innocent when he was really not. Unfortunately, he was still hung not too long after. This incident made it look like everyone who was able to recite it after this incident look guilty as well. What they were trying to show everyone is that they were guilty either way. If they were able to recite it they were guilty and also if they were unable