Was it boredom? Cold weather? Ergot poisoning? The trouble is, most of these theories treat the Salem hysteria as an isolated incident, when in fact it was one episode of a much larger trend that swept both Europe and the American colonies.
Witch trials and executions took place in Europe from the mids, and what happened in Salem was not even the first large-scale panic in the Americas. Eleven accused witches were executed in Connecticut between and and 10 were executed in Bermuda between and Although these other such hysterias did not unfold as rapidly as the Salem witch trials, their existence indicates that Salem was not a one-time fluke.
They were part of the larger European cultural landscape, and the causes were probably not so simple as a case of bad grain. Which brings us to our final point…. Only 49 years after the outbreak of the Salem witch hysteria, the people of New York City panicked over rumors of a possible slave uprising. Hundreds of men and women were arrested on hearsay evidence given by other accused conspirators, and before the end of summer , thirty-four people had been executed and seventy enslaved people had been deported to the Caribbean colonies.
The comparisons between these two events offer tantalizing possibilities for further research and debate. What was it about life in Europe and the American colonies that spawned these kinds of crises? They reeked of unwashed human bodies and excrement. They enclosed as much agony as anywhere human beings could have lived. The stone dungeons of Salem Town prison were discovered in the s in St. Certainly they were a breeding ground for disease…But accused witches were worse off than the other unfortunates [other prisoners.
The dungeons forever changed people and the ones who were lucky enough to survive the prison or escape the gallows often suffered for the rest of their lives. Interior of the old dungeon, old witch jail, Salem, Mass, circa Such is the case with Dorcas Good, the four-year-old daughter of Sarah Good who was accused of witchcraft in March of and spent seven to eight months in jail before being released, according to the book The Salem Witch Trials Reader:.
While in prison, the accused were repeatedly humiliated by being forced to undergo physical examinations of their bodies. During the examinations the prisoners, who were mostly elderly, were stripped naked in front of a group of people and their bodies were poked and prodded and any suspicious marks or moles found were pricked with needles.
Upham describes his disgust over this treatment of the prisoners:. The results of the examinations were reduced to written reports, going into details, and, among other evidences in the trials, spread before the court and jury. There they were questioned by a judge in front of a jury, which decided whether or not to indict the accused on charges of witchcraft. The trials were then held in the Salem courthouse which was located in the center of Washington Street about feet south of Lynde Street, opposite of where the Masonic Temple now stands.
This courthouse was torn down in but a plaque dedicated to the courthouse can still be seen today on the wall of the Masonic Temple on Washington Street. The victims were hanged by the neck by a rope tied to a tree. Contrary to popular belief, none of the victims were burned at the stake. The reason is because English law only allowed death by burning to be used against men who committed high treason and only after they had been hanged until almost dead, quartered and drawn.
The English considered it an unacceptable death for women since it involved nudity. Burning at the stake was more popular in countries with a strong Catholic church because it did not involve the shedding of blood, which was not allowed in the Roman Catholic doctrine, and it ensured that the victim would not have a body to take with them to the after life.
Upham for the Peabody Historical Society in As convicted witches, they were not allowed a Christian burial in consecrated ground. Relatives of several victims: Rebecca Nurse, John Proctor and George Jacobs, reportedly retrieved the bodies of their loved one and gave them a Christian burial on the family property. It is not known what happened to the unclaimed bodies, or if there were any unclaimed bodies, but if there are they are most likely still buried in shallow graves at the execution site.
Almost immediately after the Salem Witch Trials came to an end, the residents of Salem began to feel ashamed of what happened during the witch hunt. They still believed in witches and the Devil, but they had doubts that so many people could have been guilty of the crime and they feared that many innocent people had been put to death. The colony also been to suffer from frequent droughts, crop failures, smallpox outbreaks, Native-American attacks and other disasters and the colonists worried that the mistakes made during the Salem Witch Trials had angered God.
On December 17, , Governor Stoughton issued a proclamation in hopes of making amends with God. The proclamation suggested that there should be:. The colony held the day of prayer on January 15, , which was known as the Day of Official Humiliation. On October 17, , at the urging of the surviving convicted witches and their families, the colony passed a bill clearing some of the names of the convicted witches. Not every victim was named in the bill though because some families of the victims did not want their family member listed.
The bill states:. An act to remove the attainders of George Burroughs and others for Witchcraft. For as much in the year of Our Lord, one thousand six hundred and ninety-two several towns within the Province were infested with a horrible witchcraft or possessions of devils. The influence and energy of the evil spirit so great at that time acting in and upon those who were the principal accusers and witnesses proceeding so far as to cause a prosecution to be had of persons of known and good reputation which caused a great dissatisfaction and a stop to be put thereunto until their majesties pleasure should be known therein; and upon a representation thereof accordingly made, her late Majesty, Queen Mary, the Second of Blessed Memory, by her Royal letter given at her court at Whitehall the fifteenth of April, , was graciously pleased to approve the care and circumspection therein; and to will and require that in all proceedings against persons accused for witchcraft, or being possessed by the Devil, the greatest moderation and all due circumspection be used so far as the same may be without impediment to the ordinary course of justice.
And some of the principal accusers and witnesses in those dark and severe prosecutions have since discovered themselves to be persons of profligate and vicious conversations. Upon the humble petition and suit of several of said persons and of the children of others of them whose parents were executed. Be it declared and enacted by His Excellency, the Governor, Council and Representatives authority of the same, That the several convictions, in General Court assembled, and by the judgments and attainders against the said George Burroughs, John Proctor, George Jacobs, John Willard, Giles Corey, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Mary Easty, Sarah Wildes, Abigail Hobbs,Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Faulkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca Eames, Mary Post, Mary Lacey, Mary Bradbury, Dorcas Hoar, and any of them be and are hereby reversed made and declared to be null and void to all intents, constitutionalism and purposes whatsoever as if no such convictions, judgments and attainders had ever been had or given, and that no penalties or forfeitures of goods or chattels be by the said judgments and attainders or either of them had or incurred.
Any law, usage or custom to the contrary notwithstanding. And that no sheriff, constable, goaler or other officer shall be liable to any prosecution in the law for anything they then legally did in the execution of their respective offices. Officials distributed the money in Salem in January and February of On October 31, , the state amended the apology, clearing the names of the remaining victims:.
According to the Salem Award Foundation website, there are roughly 25 million people around the world who are descended from the Salem Witch Trials victims and the other participants in the trials.
Sources: Norton, Mary Beth. Vintage Books, Hill, Francis. The Salem Witch Trials Reader. DaCapo Press, Hearn, Daniel Allen. Roach, Marilynne K. Taylor Trade Publishing, Tantor Media Inc, Upham, Charles W. II, Wiggin and Lunt, Nevins, Winfield S. Witchcraft in Salem Village in Salem Press Company, Edited by Benjamin F.
Arrington, vol. Edited by Wilbur R. Sage, Upham, William P. House of John Proctor: Witchcraft Martyr, Press of C. Shepard, Salem, Essex Institute, Very, very fascinating. I am a direct descendant of Mary Towne Esty and always find the more I read about the trials and people involved, the more I learn. Thank you for an excellent article. Thanks, Stephen! I am a direct descendant of Susannah Martin, descending thru her daughter, Jane who married Samuel Hadley.
I have often questioned, as surely many others have, what could cause educated persons such as judges and ministers to buy into such rot. Susannah North, an ancestor on my fathers side of the family.
Mary Foster Lacey Sr. I got conflicting information until someone helping me told me that is her full name to get her true hints on ancestry. I will give details birth and date later. Her father is Richard North born died same as her mother born and died as her father..
Her grandparents -John North born died and Anna Hadell born died Thank you so much for this! Do you know if their are any reports from some of the people in the villiage? Most of the eyewitness accounts can be found in the court records and the books written by the ministers involved in the trials. I find the history interesting and would like to find more information on this matter. I think in some forms that witches still exist in hidden arenas. If there is anyone has found anymore supporting theories please share.
I am looking forward to the challenge of uncovering a multitude of analysis on this matter. Hi Rebecca…I saw that you have a lot of knowledge about Mary Easty…I was told this year at a funeral that I am a direct decendent of hers…I live in Salem and My Grandfather was name William Estey…do you by any chance have any history of the family tree?
Unfortunately, I do not have any information on her family tree but you might want to check out a genealogy site like ancestry.
Ancestry is the easiest way. Just pay for a month and go nuts adding records to a tree. Lines going back to Salem and Colonial New England in general are usually well documented. It will be very easy. I have countless ancestors out of Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of my grandmothers was Martha Carrier. Her son Richard is one of my 8th great grandfathers and I keep waiting for a DNA match to pop up with one of his other descendants.
I need a bibliography for my class report. Native Americans and other religions represented threats by the Devil. And this was for a people who saw themselves as ordered by God to build their shining City on a Hill. Massachusetts was like the early state of Israel. In , New England revolted and deposed the government of the Dominion of New England, and sent a representative back to London to report it, only to find that Parliament had deposed James II, and replaced him with William and Mary.
William was happily a Calvinist, but not even that changed the fact New England theocracy was at an end.
No more restricting property ownership and voting rights to only church members. The devil had won. Salem witch trial started as feud between Porters n putnums cuz putnums felt Porters gave too much freedom to their black servants. After my greaty great uncle Israel Porter formed political group to gather support against putnums, putnums responded by accusing supporters n friends of Porter Family of witchcraft esp their daughters.
Hysteria was from little girls facin threat of death by torture. They basically played the trump card of the times. Church was all powerful in those days. No way to fight its power.
Luckily ann putnum jr lived to apologize. That darn Satan fooled them good. Oh well, live n learn. Its sad when you can pick out names of your relatives in every list. Porters never forgot about this n intermarried with many of the families afterwards. We also have kept good records of everything. Let me know if you are related to story too.
I guarantee Im not related to any putnum. Does anyone know who was the last one to be accused of witchcraft and died , all she did was healing and someone who she knew turned her in. I Think it was her kids. It was last updated Sept 4, I need to compare 2 victims of the salem witch trails and find a way that they are linked as indiviguals and how their lives had similar paths that lead to victimhood but this thing is wayyyyy to long. If you are looking for more info on the victims themselves, you can check out the article I wrote specifically about them titled The Salem Witch Trials Victims: Who Were They?
The link can be found in the section of this article titled Salem Witch Trial Victims. The history both good and bad is something we should all know about. William Stoughton is an ancestor of mine, sorry to say.
I also have an ancestor, Mary Parsons, who was accused of witchcraft but she was allowed to live. You never know what you will find when you start researching your family tree! Thank-you for the great info you have shared. Rebecca, how long did this take you? Thank you for the kind comments. The initial article took me a few days to write and then I have been slowly adding to it and expanding it over the years.
Thank you for this amazing article! This is basically what got me an A on my history fair assignment, I appreciate all the time and effort put into writing this! The bibliography at the bottom of this article list a number of secondary sources. You have been so helpful! I really enjoy reading your blog! In early , several girls in the colonial Massachusetts village of Salem began exhibiting strange symptoms, including twitching, barking, and complaining of being pinched or pricked by invisible pins.
The afflicted girls soon accused several local women of bewitching them, A doctor diagnosed the children as being victims of black magic, and over the next several months, John Proctor sat in the courtroom, watching his pregnant wife, Elizabeth on the stand. Paranoia was sweeping Salem, and Elizabeth was being examined by a local judge on suspicion of witchcraft. Watching his wife withstand the heated examination was bad enough, but suddenly the The trials claimed at least victims the actual toll may be higher , with just Live TV.
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