It was shut down on October 29, While there was no need to provide evidence for accusing someone of witchcraft—just pointing fingers was enough—spectral evidence was often used during the trials. To save his wife, the governor stepped in to stop the trials and disband the court of Oyer and Terminer.
Unlike the stereotype surrounding witchcraft that indicates that it is primarily done by women, the people of Salem did not discriminate on the basis of gender. John Proctor was the first man accused of witchcraft. His vocal support for his wife—who was also accused of witchcraft—and claims that the accusers were lying were among the possible reasons why suspicion fell on him as well. Fourteen women and six men were executed for witchcraft, and five others died in prison during the trials.
One of the people who perished in prison was only an infant. Before she was hanged for witchcraft, Sarah Good gave birth to a daughter, Mercy Good, while detained.
The infant died shortly after her birth, likely due to malnutrition. Salem didn't burn witches at the stake; most of the accused witches were hanged. One exception was Giles Corey , who refused to stand for trial—he believed the court had already decided his fate, and he didn't want his property to be confiscated upon his verdict of being found guilty.
Because he refused to comply with the court, he was given the sentence of being pressed to death. He was stripped naked and covered with heavy boards. Large rocks and boulders were then laid on the planks, which slowly crushed him. After Governor Phips put an end to the witch trials, many involved in the proceedings expressed guilt and remorse about the events that occurred, including judge Samuel Sewall and the governor himself.
In , the court declared the trials unlawful. Parker Company. Did you know that several of the episodes of the TV show Bewitched were filmed in the city? There are certainly other TV shows and movies that have used areas of Salem but these ones are the most commonly searched. Early in his colonial life, he became associated with those opposed to the Puritan authorities in Plymouth and led the settlement to outlying areas, particularly in the Salem area, which he is credited with founding.
He was the first governor of English settlers in Salem from to In , the first muster was held on the Salem Common where for the first time, a regiment of militia drilled for the common defense of a multi-community area. Then came the shocker in when the wife of Governor Phips was accused of witchcraft. The Governor realized the mistake and stopped the use of Spectral evidence. He also established a higher court to handle the trials which made it harder to convict anyone of the crime.
Dorothy Good was accused by two men of behaving like an animal after she allegedly fought and bit them. The four-year-old daughter of Sarah Good was immediately arrested and charged as a witch in She was questioned by the magistrates and confessed to being a witch and that she had seen her mother talking with the devil. Dorothy also claimed that she owned a snake. She was never tried for the crimes afterwards.
Design by ThemesDNA. Search for:. Subscribe to Blog via Email. Even Dogs Were Accused Most of the victims of witch-hunting in Europe were women, most of them poor people that probably had squabbles with their neighbors. Dreams And Visions Were Accepted As Evidence Assuming you were the afflicted person and while being tormented, you saw the apparition of your neighbour, you could accuse them of being witches.
Massachusetts Only Apologized in Salem Witch Trials have haunted Salem , now known as Danvers and the entire state of Massachusetts for centuries. Like this: Like Loading Cancel reply. One of the most popular points of view was that if you were against the trials, then you were, in fact, an advocate for the witches.
This obviously meant that you must also be a witch. These extremes are also seen today as people take one side on an issue and anyone who disagrees becomes the enemy. This is proof that history does indeed repeat itself. Her father had just been appointed as the new minister for Salem, but a mysterious illness took hold of her after moving.
She would have violent thrashing fits, hide under the furniture, often contort her body in pain. She decided to blame her slave. The rest is history. One of the ways that people looked to prove that someone was a witch was to find moles or freckles on the body. This was the place that the animal familiars would feed so that the evil spirits could be maintained. People accused of witchcraft would be stripped and their skin searched for any blemishes. If there were any, even if they had always been there, then that person would be considered a witch.
Because of this, many people who were being accused of witchcraft were simply admitting to it since a confession would typically help them avoid the death penalty.
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