Lynch, Patrick. Get ready to pull out your history books as we bring you the most DISTURBING facts about the Salem Witch Trials. Despite the horrible and senseless loss of life and community divisions that the witch trials caused, some historians believe that the traumatic incident had a silver lining. Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it.Arthur Miller, in The Crucible. Apparently they felt that giving gifts took away from ones ability to focus on serious religious thought, and they did not like the pagan origins of some aspects of the holiday. The trials came to an abrupt halt when the Governors wife was accused of witchcraft, causing him to immediately order an end to the trials. Animals were the "familiar spirits" of witches. Here are 12 Salem witch trials facts that will send chills down your spine. Although Massachusetts has given up its fight against witchcraft, there are still places in the world where witchcraft is legitimately feared by the public, sometimes even leading to real modern day witch hunts. Which, yes, is a little ironic. One exception was Giles Corey, who refused to stand for trialhe 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. Even some members of his congregation at the time wanted to see him dismissed from his pew in response to his aggressive prosecuting role in the episode. 25 DISTURBING Facts About The Salem Witch Trials 429,208 views Sep 12, 2018 6.3K Dislike Share Save List 25 2.51M subscribers Get ready to pull out your history books as we bring you the most. The Enemy of My Enemy. Salem didn't burn witches at the stake; most of the accused witches were hanged. Far more women than men were among the accused, convicted and executed. This series of prosecutions and hangings of those accused of practicing witchcraft provoked a major backlash, and the event still haunts us today. Despite their obvious Christian commitment, the early American Puritans actually banned Christmas in the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1659, deeming it a sacrilege. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Let those stories inspire you to start your family history research today. Bridget Bishop, a woman considered to have questionable morals, was the first to be tried and executed during the Salem witch trials. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Two of the casualties were babies. The stars of the Salem story were the Puritan community of the Massachusetts Bay colony, a religious groupthat came over to America to escape religious persecution back in England. Today, witchcraftis recognized by the government as a protected and legitimate religion under the First Amendment. Credit where credit is due! Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. If there is any consolation for some of the condemned witches of Salem, it may come from the fact that their families lived on long after them. To save his wife, the governor stepped in to stop the trials and disband the court of Oyer and Terminer. They were eventually assumed to be possessed. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Learn about the Salem witch trials and their legacy. However, after the dogs death, the local Minister reasoned that if the devil had possessed the dog, it would not have been so easily killed with a bullet. Dont feel too embarrassed if you happen to be from Massachusetts, you guys were not the first to do something like this. Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. 20 wereexecuted (generally hanged) by the prosecutors, and five died while serving prison time. John Proctors son was born in prison while his wife was imprisoned on witchcraft charges. Even more interesting, the summer of 1692 was a dry one, and coincided with the apparent end of the bewitchments. In Salem Massachusetts in 1692 the Salem Witch Trials took place. The Salem witch trials are considered one of Americas most noteworthy cases of mass hysteria. What gave witches away were body marks, such as scars and moles. The Salem witch trials are considered one of Americas most noteworthy cases of mass hysteria. The first accusations during the Salem Witch Trials were against people who were for various reasons marginalized by society. It was carried out as such by Sheriff George Corwin. It involved a woman by the name of Tituba, a most likely South American slave from Barbados, who was the first victim of Salems witchcraft accusations. Tackling the same twisted subject as Stacy Schiff's much-lauded book The Witches: Salem, 1692, this Sibert Honor book for young readers features unique scratchboard illustrations, chilling primary source material, and powerful narrative to tell the true tale.In the little colonial town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, two girls began to twitch, mumble, and contort their bodies into strange shapes. Even more interesting, the summer of 1692 was a dry one, and coincided with the apparent end of the bewitchments. Witch trials had actually been a fairly common phenomenon in Europe during that period. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. What historians do know is that Abigail Williams was born on July 12, 1680. For everyone who remains intrigued by Salem, here are a few lesser-known facts about the witchcraft trials. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were a dark time in American history. The episode is heavily ingrained in American history and perpetuated through pop culture, but the souls lost and persecuted during that time aren't just present in our literature, media, and popular culture. Many parallels have been drawn between the events of Salem and the tactics used by the government during the Red Scare of the 1950s, in which Senator Joseph McCarthy very harshly interrogated and went after anyone suspected of being a communist sympathizer. In January 1692, two little girls living in Salem began acting strangely. The Salem trials also went on to become a powerful metaphor for the anticommunist hearings led by U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare of the 1950s, famously in the form of Arthur Millers allegorical play The Crucible (1953). It is not known why Abigail was living with the Parris family but many historians assume her parents . One of the people. Episode 44 Danvers State Mental Hospital & Salem Witch Trials: Carol checks herself in with the lunatics at the legendary Danvers asylum while Holly confesses to witchcraft on the stand in Salem, Massachusetts. Perhaps some training in the law would have constrained Stoughtons more extreme actions. Seven more died in jail. Parriss orthodox Puritan theology and preaching also divided the congregation, a split that became demonstrably visible when he routinely insisted that nonmembers of the congregation leave before communion was celebrated. Los Angeles Times, August 29, 1993. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-29-mn-29128-story.html. Upon interrogation, the girls named Tituba (an Indian woman enslaved by the Parris family), Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne as witches. The extraordinary series of events in 1692 led to the deaths of 25 innocent men, women and children. Accessed May 6, 2021. https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/philip-and-mary-english-home-site-of/. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. Some of the attitudes in the Salem witch trials are still seen today. There is little doubt that some individuals did worship the devil and attempt to practice sorcery with harmful intent. January 1692- Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village's daughter, 9-year-old Elizabeth "Betty" Parris, falls ill, soon followed by his 11-year-old niece, Abigail Williams. The witch trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. They soon spread to individuals regardless of their gender, class, or power in the community. Tituba initially denied the claim that she was a witch, but notoriously later decided to confess that it was true and accused two other women as well in the process. Interesting Facts about the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem witch trials of the late 17th century were a formative episode in America's early history, and have remained at the forefront of the national consciousness ever since. 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. They began in 1692, a full 73 years before the start of the American Revolution and some 40 years before George Washington was even born. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. Although it provided no answers, its baking outraged Parris, who saw it as a blasphemous act. Twenty people were put to death in Salem for the crime of witchcraft. "Examination of a witch" by Tompkins Harrison Matteson (1853) Here's what we know about the original witch hunt: 1. There have been many other instances of this kind of phenomenon sincemost recently in an outbreak of alleged evil clown sightings across the continent and beyond in 2016. The late comedian Lucille Ball is a descendant of Rachel Vinson, who was acquitted in the witch trials. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Spooky stories abound at the Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts. As she did when she was accused of bewitching her second husband, Bishop once again claimed innocence during her trial. Because he refused to comply with the court, he was given the sentence of being pressed to death. Almost 150 people were accused of being witches and 20 were killed. Little is known about Tituba besides her role in the witch trials. Nige Tassell explains how hysteria in the village of Salem, Massachusets, gave rise to a horror that bedazzled the world Published: June 10, 2020 at 4:45 pm Subs offer The village itself had a noticeable social divide that was exacerbated by a rivalry between its two leading familiesthe well-heeled Porters, who had strong connections with Salem Towns wealthy merchants, and the Putnams, who sought greater autonomy for the village and were the standard-bearers for the less-prosperous farm families. Eventually, the accusations ensnared even the most powerful people in Massachusetts. Some have suggested that the man who was truly responsible for initiating the witch trial debacle was Reverend Samuel Parris, the father and uncle of the afflicted girls. Learn about U.S. history, ancient Egypt, the deadliest wars, historical photos, and so much more. Thomas Maule, a Quaker who found himself at odds with the Puritan community at times, was beaten and imprisoned for speaking out against the trials, despite the fact that he himself believed in witches. Move over Montagues and Capulets: You might not be the most vengeful families out there. His vocal support for his wifewho was also accused of witchcraftand claims that the accusers were lying were among the possible reasons why suspicion fell on him as well. Despite being known as the Salem witch trials, some of the trials actually took place in Ipswich and Andover in addition to Salem itself.