 The Salem Witch Trials began in what is now known as Danvers Massachusetts.  In the 17 th century Danvers was known as Salem Massachusetts.  Salem was settled in 1626 by the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony.  The witch trials started 66 years later.

 Accusations began in February  The Salem Witch Trials lasted from June of 1692 to September of  By the end of the trials 150 people had spent time in jail and 24 innocent people were killed.

 The trials began with 11 year old Abigail Williams and 9 year old Elizabeth Parris.  These girls acted in a manner that was strange to the Puritans of the time.  (convulsive seizures, blasphemous screaming, and trance- like states)

 Abigail Williams was Elizabeth’s cousin. Elizabeth Parris was the daughter of the town minister.  Abigail and Elizabeth were not allowed to have toys or play like most children of the time would, this was seen as idleness and sinful.  Instead the girls were encouraged to concentrate on chores and studying bible verses.

 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.

 Abigail and Elizabeth began acting strangely: 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.

 The town concerned for the girls asked who had cast a spell on them.  Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne were named.  Tituba was a slave.  Sarah Good was a homeless woman.  Sarah Osborne was a woman who had married her servant.

 Tituba was a West Indian slave.  She was from Barbados.  Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem village brought her and her husband, John Indian to Salem as his servants.  At Tituba’s trial she confessed that she saw the Devil and that she was a witch. She was to sign the Devil’s book which will mean she is now a servant of the Devil.

 Tituba also said she saw the signatures of Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne and claimed they were witches too.  A few days before her trial Tituba’s husband, John, began to have fits and he too became afflicted.  Tituba spent 13 months in jail until and unknown person paid seven pounds to free her and then bought her.  Most likely the same person bought John.  It is unknown what her life was like with her new master.

Sarah Good  Sarah Good was bad tempered and she was a beggar.  Good asked for handouts and cursed those who refused her. Sarah Osborn  Sarah Osborn was an elderly woman who had not gone to church in 14 months, a sin in Puritan Massachusetts.  She was also bad tempered and often got into fights with her neighbors.

 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 who were lying.  Probably because of their fear of being punished because of experimenting with magic.

 The afflicted girls accused Martha Corey.  She was an upstanding member of the Puritan congregation - her revelation as a witch demonstrated that Satan's influence reached to the very core of the community.

 In October, the colonial governor dissolved the local Court of inquiry.  The convictions and condemnations for witchery stopped.  Nineteen victims of the witch-hunt had been hanged, one crushed to death under the weight of stones and at least four died in prison awaiting trial.

 Many of those accused were prominent members of the Salem community.  Many of these characters are seen in the play The Crucible.

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

 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 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 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.

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