The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft which began in February, 1692. A group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. As a wave of hysteria spread throughout colonial Massachusetts, a special court convened in Salem to hear the cases.
What happened by September 1962? Eight people were hung, seven died in jail and some were pressed to death by stones.
When did the salem witch trials begin? Spring of 1962
THE FIRST CONVICTED WITCH
The trial of Bridget Bishop - Bridget Bishop was an extremely controversial figure in Salem and the first person to be executed. The afflicted girls claimed that they could see the accused person’s ‘specter’ attacking them even when the accused was not physically present.She had also been tried for witchcraft before, in 1680. Yet the evidence against her was weak. It had been said that dolls with pins in the were found in her house. Despite the insubstantiality of the evidence the unfortunate woman was officially convicted on 2nd June and later hanged in the 10th of June.
WHY WERE PEOPLE ACCUSED?
1. You were female - Females being deemed as the weaker sex were prone to having accusations thrown at them.
2. You are married but have no or few children - Neighbours suffering misfortune might think you were attacking their larger families from jealousy and accuse you of witchcraft.
3. You have been accused of other crimes before such as theft - believing that bad behaviour was a doing of the devil, other charges were easy to be put on those who had a criminal history
4. You are of a relatively low social position - status and high rank were strong during the 17th century so being too dependent on your neighbours may have caused them to resent you.
5. A confessed "witch" accuses you of being a fellow witch - when so many suspects "confessed" from fear, confusion, or an attempt to curry the court's favour. These confessing accusers generally named people already under suspicion.
TESTS FOR GUILT DURING THE TRIALS
1. Deprivation - Sleep and food deprivation methods were used so the "witch" would confess to her charge of witchcraft
2. Pressing - The subject is placed beneath heavy stones, meant to literally crush you into submission.
3. Forced Confession by Dunking - The accused would be held under water repeatedly until they were successfully broken down. This was also an effective method to brainwash someone into believing a lie, anything to make the witch confess.
4 Lord's Prayer Test - The accused would be made to recite the “Lord’s Prayer” without error. This included any stumbling, stammering, or outright spasming.
"The Devil came to me and bid me serve him" - Tituba (confessed witch)