When? Where? Who? What?These are the four most basic, but arguably the most important questions when looking at a historical event. When did the trials take place? Where did this take place? Who participated? What happened? These answers lead us to the facts surrounding an event, in this case, the Salem Witch Trials.
When? It all started in the winter of 1692. During this time period, the people held strong Puritan beliefs. These beliefs were what made the people so scared of the devil and witchcraft in the first place. The trials themselves mostly happened between June and September of that same year. Where? As the title “Salem Witch Trials” suggests, these trials happened in Salem. However, they did not take place in present-day Salem. Back during this time period, Salem was a much larger area in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was different geographically, but the main part here is that it was a larger area than the city of Salem today. Who? It all started with two young girls. These girls, according to some sources, were all playing a game together one night, and saw a coffin. After this event, they began to act strangely by having fits of unnatural movement. These two girls were the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris. Since they came from such a respected household, fear began to grow in everyone’s minds. They were diagnosed as victims of witchcraft. |
But if someone was a victim of witchcraft, who was the witch? That question got everyone thinking. The afflicted girls pointed to 3 women – One, Tituba, a slave in the Parris household, two, Sarah Good, a homeless person, and three, Sarah Osborne, a social outcast. These three women stood trial and were executed on the basis of witchcraft. This is where it all began. Over the course of the trials, 20 people were killed and many more were imprisoned.
What?
The justice system back in the 17th century was not as refined as it is today. Samuel Sewall recorded what some of the trials were like in his diary. He mentions it being “awfull to see how the afflicted persons were agitated.” In his April 11th entry. This entry gives us a peek into a trial: the people being occused of witchcraft were being held on trial, and everyone gathered there were witnessing afflicted people being troubled by the witch. This, as you can imagine, would never happen in a court room today. It shows how much weight was placed on the victims of witchcraft and their testimonies.
Not only were Sewall’s accounts of trials important, but also his entry on July 30th was very interesting. “Mrs. Cary makes her escape out of Cambridge Prison, who was Committed for Witchcraft.” This entry, written exactly in this time period, was very interesting. Not only were people accusing witches and putting them on trial, but the supposed witches were also escaping out of prison. This, I imagine, would also make the people of Salem very fearful for their lives.
All of this rampant fear led to men and women being accused left and right. Not only were social outcasts accused, but also members of high society. It had to be finally put to an end. This happened in the fall of 1692, when Sir William Phips, the governer, suspended the trials. The following year, he pardoned the remaining witches.
What?
The justice system back in the 17th century was not as refined as it is today. Samuel Sewall recorded what some of the trials were like in his diary. He mentions it being “awfull to see how the afflicted persons were agitated.” In his April 11th entry. This entry gives us a peek into a trial: the people being occused of witchcraft were being held on trial, and everyone gathered there were witnessing afflicted people being troubled by the witch. This, as you can imagine, would never happen in a court room today. It shows how much weight was placed on the victims of witchcraft and their testimonies.
Not only were Sewall’s accounts of trials important, but also his entry on July 30th was very interesting. “Mrs. Cary makes her escape out of Cambridge Prison, who was Committed for Witchcraft.” This entry, written exactly in this time period, was very interesting. Not only were people accusing witches and putting them on trial, but the supposed witches were also escaping out of prison. This, I imagine, would also make the people of Salem very fearful for their lives.
All of this rampant fear led to men and women being accused left and right. Not only were social outcasts accused, but also members of high society. It had to be finally put to an end. This happened in the fall of 1692, when Sir William Phips, the governer, suspended the trials. The following year, he pardoned the remaining witches.