The Salem witch trials will always be remembered by people as an event that went awry. The Puritans came up with the idea of evil contortions, visits from Satan and demons because of the experiments of the teenagers with the crystal ball séance. The Salem witch hunt that took place in the year 1962 shook the village and different parts of the world as well, when more than hundred people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Nineteen people died because of this witch trial and many were thrown in to the jail.
Given below are some of the facts of the Salem Witch trial:
• One of the most important reasons that led to the start of the Salem witch hunt was because of the rivalry between the people living in the east side of Salem and people living in the western part of Salem. Here, it is to be noted that people living in the east were generally businessmen and store owners while people living in the west were farmers. • In just ten months, about one hundred and sixty-five people were accused of practicing witchcraft. • It is also to be noted that in just ten months, about one hundred and fifty people were sent to prison after they were accused. • In Salem, nineteen women were hanged to death because it was believed that they were witches. There was one man who was accused of being a witch but he refused to admit it so he was crushed to death instead of being hanged. This was done because this person did not confess his supposed crime. • The former minister of Salem, George Burroughs, was accused of being a witch and constables were sent to Maine from Salem to arrest this person. • In the earlier months of the year 1962, a small town near Salem suffered from massacre by the Native Americans and this put the people living in Salem on alert. Everyone living in Salem started to worry and they started to fear. The people were hoping that God will help them and prevent the same bad thing from taking place in Salem too. • One of the ministers of this village was accused of being an agent of the devil when his daughter became ill and she experienced convulsions. People living here thought that his daughter was possessed and as such, they accused the minister. • The first three people who were suspected to be witches were all young women who did not go to the church. Of these three women, one was a very young girl. The names of these women are Tituba, Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good. • After three hundred years since this witch hunt took place, Jane Swift (who was the Massachusetts’ Governor) issued a public statement stating that all the accused people were not guilty of the charge as they did not do anything to harm other people.
Myths:
• No one can prove that the theory that stated that the grain supply in Salem was infected with ergot that can lead to hallucinations was true. This is because there was no real proof. • People seem to think that the accused witches that died were burned but this is a wrong thinking because they were not burned. They were hanged to death. • There are also many people who believe that only the women were accused of being a witch but this is a wrong theory as men were also accused of practicing witchcraft.