Nikole Gabrielle Castro The Salem Witch Trials Nikole Gabrielle Castro

What were the Salem Witch Trials, how long did the trials go on for and why did it get so out of hand? A series of hearings before county court to prosecute people accused of witchcraft. Trials took place in Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town. Over 150 people arrested and imprisoned. 26 went to trial before the court and were convicted. 14 women and 5 men were executed by hanging. One man crushed to death. 5 people died in prison. Lasted less than a year. Quickly got out of hand because nobody wanted to get in trouble so they blamed other people.

What were some beliefs about witchcraft and witches people held in the past? Some people thought they held nocturnal meetings called sabbat At sabbat they did things like dancing naked, indulging in orgies and carrying out a parody of the catholic mass. Rumored to kill babies and eat them Some believed that witches could fly, could affect the fertility of animals, and could make humans ill or even kill them by magic

What were some beliefs about witchcraft and witches people held in the past? When a witch made a pact with the Devil he left a mark (which was not necessarily visible) on their body and was insensitive to pain. One test to see if a person was a witch was to cut them with a blade on the mark. If they didn’t flinch or draw blood they were a witch. Another test was to throw them into water, and if the water ‘rejected’ them and they floated, they were a witch. Some people drowned and died during this test.

What sort of evidence was used to arrest accused witches? Spectral evidence-testimony of the afflicted who claimed to see the apparition or the shape of the person who was allegedly afflicting them. Confessions of the accused themselves. Testimony of another confessed ‘witch’. Existence of so called ‘witch's teats’ or ‘Devil’s marks’ on the body of the accused. Discovery of ‘poppets’ (i.e. voodoo dolls) Pots of ointments in the possession or in the home of the accused. (3)

What options did an accused witch have in Salem? Could plead guilty, confess, and be forgiven, then executed. Could plead innocent, be tried, found guilty, then executed. All were hung. One person refused to enter a plea, so they tortured him to get him to plea either guilty or innocent. Put heavy rocks on his chest, but he refused and eventually suffocated. (1)

What are some possible explanations for the Salem witchcraft trials? Tension and rebellion over the creation of a new church in Salem Village. Puritans did not view themselves as individuals, but rather one organism under God. Did not want anybody to stray from what they considered normal.

Bibliography 1.http://coryfamsoc.com/resources/articles/images/Sal_hang.jpg TitleSlide:http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salemexamof.jpg 3.http://unsolvedmysteries.wikispaces.com/file/view/witches.gif