The court agreed in 1711. The Salem Witch Trials: The Real History Behind One of the Most Another petition to the Salem court of Assize, undated but probably from October, is on record. At the end of the ordeal, nearly 200 people had been accused, 20 people had been executed, and a few had died while in prison. ThoughtCo. January 7: Elizabeth Hubbard testifies for the last time in the witchcraft trials. In addition to the rising causalities, taxes are increased to meet the mounting costs of the war, leading to a rise in inflation. This conflict is known as the Second Indian Wars or King Williams War. 1627: The Guide to the Grand-Jury Men is published by the English Puritan Rev. As fear continues to spread, those who are not obvious suspects are also accused, in many cases driven by old family feuds and rumors. 1688: King James II, remarried to a Catholic, has a son and new heir who will replace James' older and Protestant daughters in the succession. Samuel Parris, begin exhibiting strange behavior, making strange noises, and complaining of headaches. In 1688, Parris entered negotiations to become the new minister in Salem Village. As word of the illness spreads throughout Salem Village, and eventually Essex County, others begin to fall ill with the same alarming symptoms. In June of 1693, a fleet of British warships arrived in Boston. Mary Easty had been accused following her defense of her sister, the accused Rebecca Nurse. Did Cold Weather Cause the Salem Witch Trials? | Live Science During those years, the weather was unusually cold in the winter and especially dry in the summer, and once-prosperous towns in Massachusetts were suddenly unable to produce enough food for everyone. His wife died in 1681, and he remarried. 1683- After protracted salary disputes, George Burroughs also resigns as minister of Salem Village and returns to Maine. March 24: Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne examine Rebecca Nurse on the charges of witchcraft against her. For people in general, women included, life in Salem, Massachusetts was not especially easy. Living hundreds of years later, we still search for answers, wondering what caused these strange and tragic events to take place. When you're a colonist, you depend on your mother country to help you out in times of need. Oh and also, the bar was pretty low in Puritan America as far as when you got to start calling someone a "crone" to her face if you were in your 50s, you were elderly. Many interpret this action as a spiritual crisis and threat to the City on a Hill. January 26: Word of the appointment of Sir William Phips as royal governor of Massachusetts reaches Boston. Religious, social, political, and environment factors created an environment of growing fear and tension. May 7: George Burroughs is returned to Salem and jailed. April 3: Sarah Cloyce comes to the defense of her sister, Rebecca Nurse. In Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Bridget Bishop, the first colonist to be tried in the Salem witch trials, is hanged after being found guilty of the . November 25: Governor Phips establishes a Superior Court of Judicature to handle any remaining trials of accused witches in Massachusetts. Though not the only significant series of witch trials to take place in this period, the Salem witch trials of 1692 were ultimately the most intense and devastating witch hunt to take place in colonial America. Elizabeth Proctor is given a temporary stay of execution because she is pregnant. The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem in the Province of Massachusetts Bay between 1692-1693. Deodat Lawson becomes the minister in Salem Village. 1641: England establishes a capital penalty for witchcraft. Public Domain Image, originally from Salem Witchcraft by Charles W. Upham, 1867. After two days, the weight of the stones killed him. 1693: Cotton Mather publishes his study of satanic possession, Wonders of the Invisible World. May 18: John Willard is examined. Over time, historians have proposed a diverse array of theories, each identifying different factors and events that warrant serious consideration. Salem witch trials, (June 1692-May 1693), in American history, a series of investigations and persecutions that caused 19 convicted "witches" to be hanged and many other suspects to be imprisoned in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Danvers, Massachusetts). He later recants the confession, but testimony from others about his fortune-telling and witchcraft casts doubt on his innocence. Also sometime in August, John Alden Jr. escapes from the Boston jail and goes to New York. Salem Witch Trials | The First Amendment Encyclopedia February 29: Based on the accusations of Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, arrest warrants are issued in Salem Town for the first three accused witches, Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. In Salem Village, the first accusations name a slave, a woman who married beneath her station, and a beggar. The warrant also orders Mary Warren and Elizabeth Hubbard to appear to give evidence. January 27: Elizabeth Proctor gives birth to a son, naming him John Proctor III after his father who had been hanged on August 19 the year before. Mary Easty's family received 20 compensation for her wrongful execution; her husband, Isaac, died in 1712. I will be standing right next to President Trump tonight in total support," tweeted Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama before he dashed to join the former president at his private Bedminster golf club for a campaign event . On February 25, 1692, Sarah Goodalong with Tituba and Sarah Osbornewas named by Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris as causing their strange fits and convulsions. Sometime after the accusations are leveled against Rebecca Nurse, John Proctor, whose daughter is married to an in-law of Rebecca Nurse's son, denounces the afflicted girls publicly. 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. Dr. Roger Toothaker is arrested, accused of witchcraft by Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Putnam Jr., and Mary Wolcott. Of even greater concern is the fear that the revocation of the Puritan influenced charter marks the downfall of the great Puritan experiment. October 23, 1684: The Massachusetts Bay Colony charter is annulled and self-government ends. To be fair, the men also suffered humiliation for engaging in premarital fornication, though it wasn't quite at the same level. He also orders some of the accused be released and dissolves the Court of Oyer and Terminer. William Good tells her about a mole on his wife's back. Within the walls, there are simple stone slabs, one for each victim, etched with . Ann Putnam Jr. and Elizabeth Hubbard, who live about a mile either direction from the Parris household, began showing the "afflictions." Imagine if you were one of the first colonists on Mars, and then you found out that America got into some major conflict with Canada and suddenly you're not sure whether the next supply ship is going to arrive on time. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Samuel Parris apologizes to his congregation for his part in the events of 1692 and 1693, but many members remain opposed to his ministry there, and the church conflict continues. She chokes me. According to Michigan State University, the laws weren't just regarding basic, common sense things like stealing or running a red light, either Puritan law dictated your morals as well as your behavior. The property of Philip English in Salem is seized by the sheriff. What happens in the home country can have a pretty big impact on your often-difficult life in the colonies. This way of thinking followed the colonists from Europe, where tens of thousands of people, mainly women, were executed for witchcraft between the 1300s and 1600s. During the sermon, Sarah Cloyce, Rebecca's sister, leaves the meetinghouse and slams the door. Another hysteria broke out in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1692, but none of those convicted met death. Many have speculated that he did that to distance himself from an ancestor whose actions embarrassed him; but Hathorne's name is spelled as Hawthorne in some of the 1692 transcripts (example: Ann Doliver, June 6). 1752: Salem Village changes its name to Danvers; the King overruled this decision in 1759 but the village ignored his order. A temporary government based on the original charter is established to retain order in the wake of this upheaval. According to Refinery29, the first women to be tried for witchcraft in Salem were those who did not fit nicely into the mold of Puritan society. The independent nature of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, built upon a foundation of Puritan ideology, makes King Charles particularly hesitant to reissue a charter. 1697: Rev. 1697: France and England end the Nine Years' War and thus King William's War or the Second Indian War in New England also ended. The accused began to accuse others, and even their spouses, of being the true witches. Elizabeth Paine turns herself in on June 3. You look like you're responsible for hexing Steve Irwin. Also in 1711, Elizabeth Hubbard, one of the main accusers, married John Bennett in Gloucester. A similar missive, signed by Rev. April 22: The newly-arrested Mary Easty, Nehemiah Abbott Jr., William Hobbs, Deliverance Hobbs, Edward Bishop Jr., Sarah Bishop, Mary Black, Sarah Wildes, and Mary English are examined by Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. George Burroughs would use one or more of these texts in his trial in 1692, attempting to refute the charges against him. What Life Was Really Like For Women During The Salem Witch Trials Here we have a timeline of significant events taking place in both England and its colony in the years before the Salem trials. They question Tituba. The distraught parents, grasping at any explanation for their loss, saw the hand of the devil at work. Salem Village remains more focused on agriculture and Salem Town centers on a more mercantile identity. What she answers is interpreted as a confession that implicates her mother, Sarah Good. : Philip English begins to fight in court for the return of his considerable estate after his wife, Mary English, died in childbirth. Each of these elements comes together like a puzzle piece, creating a much larger and intricate picture. 1660- Following the fall of the Commonwealth, the English monarchy is restored, resulting in the return of King Charles II. 1638: A small group of people settle about five miles outside of Salem town, in what became Salem Village. During the trial, Tituba confessed to having seen the devil and also stated that there was a coven, or group, of witches in the Salem Village area. Samuel Parris and mother of Elizabeth (Betty) Parris, dies. Dane and 40 other men and 12 women "neighbors" from Andover,probably from January, is sent to the court of assizeon behalf of Mary Osgood, Eunice Fry, Deliverance Dane, Sarah Wilson Sr. and Abigail Barker, stating faith in their integrity and piety, and making clear that they were innocent. William Stoughton is elected with one of the highest vote totals in the same election. Deliverance Hobbs confesses to witchcraft. June 1691: Ann Putnam Sr. joins the Salem Village church. Others are blindfolded, their hands laid on the afflicted persons, and when the afflicted persons fall into fits, the group is seized and taken to Salem. The ministers change their position on the topic of spectral evidence. "@aimeeterese You look like you should be generic witch #3 in a history channel documentary on the salem witch trials. Usually. They are taken to Ingersoll's tavern. Giles Corey maintains his innocence. Ann Holland Bassett Burt, a Quaker and the grandmother of Elizabeth Proctor, is charged with witchcraft. She is a former faculty member of the Humanist Institute. Abigail Hobbs, Susannah Sheldon, Sara Churchwell, Mercy Short, all refugees from Maine, are later witnesses during the Salem witch trials. May 16: Governor Phips is given the oath of office. January 2: The Rev. Early August: Philip and Mary English escape to New York, at the urging of a Boston minister. September 13: Anne Foster is accused by Mary Walcott, Mary Warren and Elizabeth Hubbard. Let's find out why. Female fornicators became pariahs they were considered "filthy, dissolute, and untrustworthy." John Hale and John Higginson observe part of the day's proceedings. February 26: Betty and Abigail begin naming Tituba for their behavior, which increase in intensity. A warrant is issued for the arrest of John Willard, who had himself been a constable in Salem Village bringing in the accused. The three women were thrown in jail to await trial for practicing witchcraft. 11 Facts About the Salem Witch Trials | Mental Floss Dying with no legitimate heir in 1685, he is succeeded by his brother, James II. April 4: Complaints are filed againstElizabeth Proctor andSarah Cloyce, and an arrest warrant issued to have them in custody by April 8. October 18: Twenty-five citizens, including Rev. Salem Witch Trials Timeline. You'd think that people would mostly respect their elders in a society that valued purity and modesty, and for the most part they did as long as their elders were well-behaved. In a modern courtroom, it may be enough to say, "I saw this person do this thing," but such a he-said she-said case is going to be a lot stronger if it's supported by real physical evidence. It had been held by heirs of her husband, John Proctor because her conviction made her ineligible for her dowry. May 30: Elizabeth Fosdick and Elizabeth Paine are accused of witchcraft against Mercy Lewis and Mary Warren. There were the bitterly cold winters, the failing crops, and the political strife so you could freeze your butt off all night, struggle to put food on the table in the morning, deal with a scheming enemy in the afternoon, and get accused of witchcraft in the evening. October 8, 1672: Salem Village separates from Salem Town, and is authorized by a General Court order to tax for public improvements, hire a minister and build a meetinghouse. October 6: On payment of 500 pounds, Dorothy Faulkner and Abigail Faulkner Jr. are released on their own recognizance, to the care of John Osgood Sr. and Nathaniel Dane (Dean) Sr.On the same date, Stephen Johnson, Abigail Johnson, and Sarah Carrier are released on payment of 500 pounds, to be cared for by Walter Wright (a weaver), Francis Johnson and Thomas Carrier. Hannah Bromage is examined by Gedney and others. Those who do not act in accordance with accepted social norms, such as outsiders and beggars, are the easiest to suspect. The legal precedent cited by the devoutly Puritan colonists was of a divinely higher order: biblical passages such as Exodus 22:18 (Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live) and Leviticus 20:27 (A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death). What we don't know is what was really behind the hysteria. Rebecca Nurse is also tried, and the jury finds her not guilty. So why weren't more of them executed? Chronology of Events Relating to the Salem Witchcraft Trial of 1692 October 29: Governor Phips orders a stop to any more arrests. By Amber C. Snider October 19, 2021 Getty Images It's hard to imagine that the sleepy,. By the time the trials come to an end, 25 people are deadfive die in prison awaiting trial, 19 are executed by hanging, and one man is pressed to death after refusing to recognize the authority of the court. February 16: William Griggs, a physician, buys a home in Salem Village. Just like the witch trials of Salem, the werewolf trials - TikTok According to the Washington Post, burning was a French thing, and the colonists at Salem were still purely British. Behind it all is the belief the devil is lurking around every corner, seeking to ignite a moral panic and conspiracy of witches. Biography of Rebecca Nurse, Victim of the Salem Witch Trials, Profile of Mary Lacey Sr. and Mary Lacey Jr, Salem Witch Trials, A Brief History of the Salem Witchcraft Trials, Profile of Elizabeth How, Persecuted Salem Witch, Tituba and The Salem Witch Trials of 1692, Mary Easty: Hanged as a Witch in Salem, 1692, Biography of Martha Carrier, Accused Witch, M.Div., Meadville/Lombard Theological School, Sarah and Samuel Wardwell (children of the Samuel Wardwell who was executed), Nathaniel and Francis Dane (Nathaniels wife was Deliverance Dane), Thorndike and Benjamin Proctor (sons of John Proctor, stepsons of Elizabeth Proctor). May 31: John Alden, Martha Carrier, Elizabeth How, Wilmott Redd, and Philip English are examined by Bartholomew Gedney, Jonathan Corwin, and John Hathorne. Neighbors testified that they saw Seager dancing with other women in the woods and cooking mysterious concoctions in black kettles. October 1689: Salem Village church grants Rev. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Reverend Samuel Parris: Was He to Blame for the Salem Witch Trials? (examination records for this day are lost, as they are for a few other days, so we don't know what some of the charges were.). June 30: Testimony is heard against Elizabeth Proctor and John Proctor. Sheriff George Corwin had confiscated his property and had not made payments to the English crown as was required, instead likely using the proceeds on English's valuable property for himself.

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