In early 1692 there was a 9-year-old girl named Elizabeth Paris who began having fits, violent spasms, and screaming outbursts. She was the daughter of the minister of Salem Village of the colony of Massachusetts. Soon after that, several more girls started having the same symptoms. A doctor diagnosed them as having been bewitched. The girls accused three women in the community of bewitching them. One woman confessed, to save her life, and the other two denied being witches. Bridget Bishop was the first to be found guilty and was hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Town.
Many communities in the 1960s believed that the devil could come into your heart and try to lure you away from God. The leaders in these communities thought they had to intervene and stop it from happening. After the first hanging, people became crazy, and somewhere between 150 and 200 people were accused of witchcraft. The Governor of Massachusetts appointed a special court to hear all the cases of witchcraft. Spectral evidence was allowed, which is evidence based on dreams and visions. Nineteen people total were hung for being found guilty of witchcraft, fourteen women and five men. Seven more died in jail due to poor conditions.
By May of 1693, the Governor put a stop to the special court and witch the trials after his wife was accused of witchcraft. He forgave all the accused people at the end of 1693. In January 1697 the Massachusetts General Court decided that the witch trials were unlawful and apologized for what happened. In 1711 the accused were restored their rights. In 1957 the state of Massachusetts formally apologized for what happened.
Sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials
https://www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials
Questions:
Have you ever heard of the Salem Witch Trials?
Do you believe in Witches and Witchcraft?
Do you ever think something like this could happen again in the United States?
Replies
I have heard of the Salem Witch Trials before, however I did not know a lot of information about them. I'm not sure if witches or witchcraft is true, just because there is already so many things we don't know about the world. I don't think something like this would happen again.
I have heard the name The Salem Witch Trials before, but I never knew anything about them, like what they were or who was involved. I don't know if I believe in witchcraft, but I wouldn't doubt it if it were true. I don't think something like this could happen again.
Ive never heard of the Salem Witch Trials. I dont really belive in witched and witchcraft. I hope nothing like this happens again, and the people who died did not do anything to deserve that too.
I agree with you totally. I do not believe in witches or witchcraft. I also hope this never happens again because it those people did not deserve to die because others were scared and paranoid.
I have heard of the salem witch trials. I think that it was a completly different time than modern day. I do not think that withces and witchcraft existed. I think that it was science that women had been practicing. Due to misunderstanding these women were convicted of wichcraft.
I have recently been learning about the Salem Witch Trials in my English class. I think that it is a very sad story. I personally, do not believe in Witches/Witchcraft. I think that the witch trials were based on the fact that some people didn't like other people, so they made an excuse to get rid of them.
I heard a bit about this and it's sad and scary at the same time. I don't believe it much but I know witchcraft is a paranormal event in haunted houses or forests. I don't know if it will or not but hopefully it doesn't happen.
I had heard a little bit about the salem witch trials but a lot more recently. I don't beleive in witchcraft but I do believe that there is the devil. I hope something like this doesn't happen again in the US because most of the people who died did absolutly nothing. They just had someone in the town who didn't like them and was willing to accuse them.
I think the same as you do. I believe these people died for no good reason and it was just because someone did not like them and accused them of witchcraft.
I just recently learned about the Salem Witch Trials during a reading in English class. I don't believe in witchcraft and witches. I think the witch trials were born out of paranoia and extreme belief systems. I think we learn about the atrocities of the past so that events like this do not occur again.
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