The Salem Witch Trials

Witches What is the definition of a witch?

a person, now especially a woman, who professes or is supposed to practice magic, especially black magic or the black art; sorceress.

WITCHES!!!! A GLOBAL ISSUE

Witches were persecuted in France, Italy, Germany and England

Over 300 years Between 14th and 16th century,

40,000-50,000 people were executed for “witchcraft”

The Bible told me to do it…

Persecutions and killings of witches came from the Bible.

Exodus 11:18 “Thall shall not suffer a witch to live.”

Tolerance ends

Early Christians were permissive of PAGANS – Pagan - one of a people or community observing a

polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks. Synonyms: polytheist.

1231 – Pagans were considered heretics. Heretics - a professed believer who maintains

religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his or her church or rejects doctrines prescribed by that church.

Heretics were exposed and punished

Heresy = Death

1484 – Pope Innocent VIII declared witchcraft to be heresy Punishment was death!

Hammer of the Witches

Book that told “how to” find a witch Satan would leave a mark “devil’s mark”

or “witch’s teat” – “Teat” is said to feed the animal spirits that served her

“Swimming Witch” – Woman tied to a lever and dunked in water. If she was a witch, she would float. If she was innocent, she would sink. Woman always found guilty.

Torture

Henry VIII

Became head of the church and head of the country

Witchcraft became a sin against church & state

Resulted in TREASON , which was a capital offense

1692

Pilgrims leave England to settle Massachusetts Bay Colony “new perfect society” based on Bible “City on a hill” Settlers still British citizens Believed in witches Called Puritans

CREEPY!

Witch Hunts and Trials – take 1

Charlestown – 1648 1st witch hunt and trial Margaret Jones – midwife and healer Said to have “malignant” touch Could foretell future Had a “witch’s teat” Hanged in 1648

Take 2

Boston – 1688 4 children accuse Goodwife Glover Children cured through prayer and

fasting Glover executed Cotton Mather –▪ headed investigation ▪ Boston minister

Take 3 – Salem Village, MA - 1692

Most famous witch hunt Puritan settlement

Believed in predestination Believed in Misogyny – belief that women are to

be silent, submissive, docile helpers and mothers

By nature, women were considered more likely than men to enlist in the devil’s service

Women considered lustful and wanted certain kinds of knowledge▪ (Garden of Eden)

Salem Witch Trials

Began with 11 year old Abigail Williams and 9 year old Elizabeth Parris Girls acted strangely Abigail Williams was Elizabeth’s cousin.

Elizabeth Parris was the daughter of the town minister.

Not allowed to have toys or play- this was seen as idleness and sinful

Encouraged to concentrate on chores and studying bible verses

Rev. Parris’s House

Salem Witch Trials – the beginning

At night Abigail and Elizabeth would spend their nights by the fire with Reverend Parris’s slave Tituba (from Barbados).

Tituba entertained the girls with magic, fortune telling and story telling from her homeland.

This was forbidden by Puritan law.

Salem Witch Trials

Girls began speaking in tongues and having wild convulsions.

The village doctor was called in, he was sure the girls were victims of witch craft.

One Sunday in January, as the Reverend began his sermon, the girls in town fell into a fit.

Salem Witch Trials

The town concerned for the girls asked who had cast a spell on them.

Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne were named.

Tituba, a slave. Sarah Good, a homeless woman. Sarah Osborne a woman who had married her servant.

Salem Witch Trials

When placed on trial both Sarah’s maintained their innocence, Tituba however claimed there were other witches in Salem.

This admission started the wave of hysteria that engulfed Salem.

Behind this paranoia were Elizabeth and Abigail. The hysteria was being controlled by two young girls.

Elizabeth and Abigail

Girls accused: Men Upper Class Minister’s wives

Traits of a Witch

Singing Reading Not conforming to Puritan law Not getting along with your neighbor Spending time alone Writing

The Accusation Process

The afflicted person makes a complaint to the Magistrate about a suspected witch.  The complaint is sometimes made through a third person.

The Magistrate issues a warrant for the arrest of the accused person.

The accused person is taken into custody and examined by two or more Magistrates.  If, after listening to testimony, the Magistrate believes that the accused person is probably guilty, the accused is sent to jail for possible reexamination and to await trial

The Accusation Process…cont.

The case is presented to the Grand Jury.  Depositions relating to the guilt or innocence of the accused are entered into evidence.

If the accused is indicted by the Grand Jury, he or she is tried before the Court of Oyer and Terminer.  A jury, instructed by the Court, decides the defendant's guilt.

The Accusation Process…cont.

The convicted defendant receives his or her sentence from the Court.  In each case at Salem, the convicted defendant was sentenced to be hanged on a specified date

The Sheriff and his deputies carry out the sentence of death on the specified date.

Salem Witch Trials – Cont.

200 accussed 7 judges, 12 jurors at hearings Confessions of witchcraft weren’t

hanged Only people who denied it were hanged 55 of 200 confessed to escape hanging

Sarah Goode

Hanged for witchcraft Cursed Judge Nicholas Noise:

“If you take away my life, God will give you blood to drink.”

25 years later, Noise died by choking on his own blood.

Dorcus Goode – Sarah’s daughter – 4 years old – youngest accused

Reverend George Burroughs

Retired reverend Hanged for witchcraft Before being hanged, recited “The

Lord’s Prayer” perfectly – supposed to be impossible for a witch to do this

TOTALS

Total Accused: 200 Total deaths: 24 people

19 hanged 4 died in prison 1 pressed to death

End of the Trials

Court was dissolved on October 29 49 of 52 left to sentence were

acquitted Community realized its wrong-

doings. Girls never publicly apologized

Ann Putman – 1706 – blamed devil for causing her to do it