What Is The Origin Of The Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials that took place in 1692 are part of a pattern throughout history of the persecution of women. At the time of the beginning of the witchcraft hysteria in Salem there were many reasons for the people of the village to be nervous. They had a strong belief that the devil was the cause for disease, bad fortune and catastrophes. The people accused were also those who did not have a godly reputation, were foreigners or were part of an old feud with the most prominent men.
The origin of the Salem Witch Trials stems from a group of girls who accused several local women of witchcraft. In January of 1692, two girls began to experience fits of uncontrollable outbursts and sickness. The two girls who were the start of the
hysteria, Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, were the daughter and niece of a local minister. Shortly after, other girls in the town began to “experience” the same symptoms as the first girls. Some of the girls even began to bark like dogs, have hallucinations and mutter strange sounds. After much prayer, a doctor determined that they must be possessed by the devil. The village proceeded to fast and pray to rid itself of the devil. After this did not work, the girls were pressured to reveal who had possessed them. Parris and Williams accused that they had been possessed by the slave Tituba, an elderly woman Sarah Osborne and a homeless beggar Sarah Good. Both Osborne and Good denied all involvement in any witch craft however, Tituba confessed to doing the work of the devil. She also claimed that there were others in town that were involved in witchcraft as well. This caused hysteria in and around Massachusetts. It was not only women (although they are the most famous during this) who were accused of witchcraft and devil worship. Over one hundred and fifty women, men, children and even two dogs were accused of the crime. Dogs at the time were considered the devil in disguise. Although dogs were considered the devil, they were also used to identify witches. Animals were claimed to be stolen by witches and “hag-ridden” during the night. If an animal became sick or died they were assumed to have experienced this. Being accused of being a witch was grounds for arrest. However, once arrested and put on trial several types of evidence were taken into consideration. Reciting of the Lord’s Prayer, physical evidence, witness testimony, spectral evidence and confession. If someone was unlucky enough to have a wart, any type of birthmark, a mole or a blemish of sorts they would be found guilty as being a witch. All of these “deformities” were seen as a way for Satan to enter the body. Witness testimony could be anything that someone who was accusing would say. In the case of Martha Corey, she was found guilty because her spirt was “seen leaving her body.” The last type of evidence was confession, this is how Tituba was found guilty. She finally confessed to witchcraft and stated that there were others like her in the village which started the hysteria. Although, Tituba was found guilty, she was never executed for the crime of being a witch. In fact, none of the accused who confessed were ever executed. Contrary to belief, witches were not necessarily burned at the stake after being condemned to death. The first convicted witch was Bridget Bishop in June of 1692. Although Bridget was not the first witch accused she was the first to be found guilty and hung. Bridget Bishop was on her third marriage in 1692 and publicly fought with her husband, wore flamboyant clothing and developed a reputation of being a harlot. Due to the fact that Bridget did not care what the society thought of her condemned her as being a witch. After arrested, she was brought into the court room where the “afflicted” girls began to howl as if she was causing them pain. Bridget was found guilty due to her wild ways and hung on June 10, 1692. Although Bridget was the first to be put to death during the trials, she was not the only one. An eighty year old man was accused of doing the work of the devil. Giles Corey was a successful farmer who was married with two daughters. Mercy Lewis, an “afflicted” girl, had accused Giles of forcing her to sign the devils’ book while he was in town at a tavern. Giles was found guilty and was pressed to death with heavy stone. Giles’ wife, Martha, ,was also found guilty of witch craft after Abigail Williams, one of the first girls to claim to be possessed, suggested that she saw Martha’s’ spirit leave her body. Martha was hung on September 22, 1692. Rebecca Nurse was an interesting case for this time. Rebecca was considered an unlikely accused. She was seventy one at the time of her trial and was known as woman who was “saint-like”. Regardless of this reputation, Rebecca was accused and arrested on charges of witch craft. Several of the prominent members of the village wrote on her behalf. However when the judge began to waiver towards “not guilty” the afflicted girls would begin to make a scene as if they were in pain by her. At the end of the trial, Rebecca was found not guilty. There was public outcry due to the verdict. Rebecca made a comment of another prisoner saying “what do you bring her, she is one of us.” This was considered confession of witchcraft. Rebecca was found guilty, excommunicated and executed on July 19. This trial was what is now known to be the beginning of the end of the hysteria in Salem. Although there many who were accused and arrested. There were only nineteen who were found guilty and executed by the village of Salem, Mass. Doubts began to grow in Salem after a man who was serving as a minister, was arrested and charged with not just being a witch but being their leader. This man was George Burroughs. George was found guilty and as he was about to be hung, began to recite the Lord’s Prayer perfectly and without hesitation. This stunned the spectators and they called for his pardon. However, they were denied and George was hung despite the protest. Many began to feel that the trials were getting out of hand after a clearly innocent minister was executed.
In early, 1693 the public hysteria began to die out. People began to see that innocent people, such as the case of George Burroughs, were being accuse and executed. A reverend Increase Mather stated “It were better that ten suspected witches escape than one innocent person should be condemned.” The villagers began to see that all walks of life were being condemned instead of the “undesirables” as it was in the beginning. The accusations began to slow down and those who still were accusing were not taken as
seriously. One of the most unknown facts about the Salem Witch Trials is what happened to the accusers. The accusations started with lies of children, however, it was taken to an extreme measure by their elders. None of the accusers were punished, tried or had any repercussions for their actions. Some of them did admit to wrongly accusing like in the case of Ann Putnam who made a public apology years later. The first accuser, Samuel Parris, did receive some punishment for his participation. Parris was abandoned by his congregation and his salary was taken away. Parris was eventually paid to leave the town and not return. Most of the accusers stated that they had been possessed by the devil and forced to accuse these people of being witches.
Although the damage had been done and innocent people were executed during this terrible time in our history, Salem Massachusetts did try to make amends.
On January 14, 1697 Massachusetts court issued a day of fasting and prayer for remembrance of those who lost their lives. In 1711, a law was written that the trials were unlawful and a bill was passed that restored the good names of the families of the executed. These heirs were also given a restitution. It was not until more than two hundred years later that Massachusetts formally apologized for the wrongful execution of nineteen men and women during the witch hunt of
1692. Accusations of witch craft was not new in history nor was it just in early America. Witch hunts go as far back in human history to The Bible. In 1592 Scotland, King James and his wife Anne accused six women of causing storms d during the return trip of their honeymoon. These women did confess to this and were tortured and burned at stakes.