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Summary (of text):

The Salem witch trials helped create several laws that are lasting now because of how poorly the witch trials were. Now, it is "Innocent until proven guilty," while during the SWT it was, "Guilty until proven innocent," Which ended up killing several people from the poor conditions in prison.

Quotes:

"Nearly a century after the crisis in Salem, during debate over ratification of the Constitution, anti-Federalist delegates (successfully) argued that the document needed a "Bill of Rights" to guard against the violation of individual citizens’ fundamental freedoms by the federal government."

Citation:

Author: Sarah Pruitt

Works Cited: Pruitt, Sarah. “How the Salem Witch Trials Influenced the American Legal System | HISTORY.” HISTORY, 4 Oct. 2021, www.history.com/articles/salem-witch-trials-justice-legal-legacy.

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Focus:

Key Players

Influence

Origins of conflict

Key players

Research Topics:

Leaders (prominent figures)

Major battles

Number of casualties

Role of religion, technology, & weaponry

Starting and ending dates

Initial tensions between groups

causes of conflict

Participating countries/groups

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Summary (of text):

NOT everybody who died

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Summary (of text):

The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of individuals accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. Over 200 people were accused, and at least 19 were executed by hanging. The trials were driven by a combination of religious beliefs, social tensions, and fear, culminating in a period of intense paranoia and injustice.

Citation: Peabody Essex Museum

In-Text Citation: The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 - Peabody Essex Museum - no date stated

Works Cited: https://www.pem.org/the-salem-witch-trials-of-1692

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This extraordinary series of events that began in 1692 led to the deaths of 25 innocent women, men and children. The crisis in Salem, Massachusetts took place partly because the community lived under an ominous cloud of suspicion. A remarkable set of conflicts and tensions converged, sparking fear and setting the stage for the most widespread and lethal outbreak of witchcraft accusations in North America.

Centuries after this storied crisis, the personal tragedies and grievous wrongs of the witch trials continue to provoke reflection, reckoning and a search for meaning. Today, the city of Salem attracts more than 1 million tourists per year, many of whom are seeking to learn more about these events. The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) holds one of the world's most important collections of objects and architecture related to the Salem Witch Trials. From 1980 to 2023, PEM's Phillips Library was the temporary repository of the state's Supreme Judicial Court collection of witch trial documents. These legal records, which were returned to the Judicial Archives following the expansion and modernization of the Massachusetts State Archives facility, are available to researchers around the world on our website thanks to a comprehensive digitization project. Through exhibitions, research, publishing and public programming, PEM is committed to telling the story of the Salem Witch Trials in ways that honor the victims and amplify the teachings of wrongful persecution that remain relevant to today.

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The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 - Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA

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Learn more about Salem Witch Trials, including a comprehensive history, today's impact, and how you can explore the crisis at Peabody Essex Museum.

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Summary (of text):

This explains some of the deaths along with why it continued for so long.

Quotes:

In all, 19 were hanged, one pressed to death, and five others died in jail.

Tituba confessed and identified more witches from Salem.

“It didn’t have to go any further than those three,” says Burns, “but they didn’t have a way to defend themselves. Just the usual suspects. All were marked for class and Tituba for race. John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin, the local magistrates, coerced a false confession out of Tituba. If it had been another time, it might just have stopped there.

Citation:

Author: Laura Wolff Scanlan

Works Cited: Scanlan, Laura. “Records of the Salem Witch Trials.” The National Endowment for the Humanities, 2022, www.neh.gov/article/records-salem-witch-trials.

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Summary (of text):

How the people died.

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During the Salem witch trials, 19 people were executed by hanging. The first execution was Bridget Bishop on June 10, 1692, at Gallows Hill in Salem Village. Subsequent hangings occurred on July 19, August 19, and September 22, 1692, involving individuals such as Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, and George Burroughs, among others. George Burroughs notably recited the Lord's Prayer perfectly before his execution, which was believed to be impossible for a witch, causing some to doubt his guilt. Additionally, Giles Corey was pressed to death with heavy stones on September 19, 1692, after refusing to enter a plea. Five others died in custody during the trials.

Citation:

Author: Jeff Wallenfeldt

Works Cited: Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Salem Witch Trials | History, Summary, Location, Causes, Victims, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials/The-trials#ref332155. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

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Summary (of text):

Just a doc of everyone executed / does not include people who died in prison.

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Summary (of text):

This includes when people would start needing more evidence than just what somebody supposedly saw or dreamt. It helped speed along Rules of Evidence (in law) to decide what people can or can't count as acceptable in order to punish someone.

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In January 1693, the newly created Superior Court of Judicature began hearing the remaining witch trials. The judges could not accept spectral evidence and most of the remaining trials ended in acquittal. Phips pardoned the rest.

Citation:

Author: New England Law

Works Cited: New England Law. “A True Legal Horror Story: The Laws Leading to the Salem Witch Trials.” Www.nesl.edu, New England Law Boston, 2024, www.nesl.edu/blog/detail/a-true-legal-horror-story-the-laws-leading-to-the-salem-witch-trials.

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Summary (of text):

The Salem witch trials made the right to question both sides, assuring the sixth amendment that makes sure somebody is there to combat the accusations, and innocence rather than guilt.

Quotes:

The abuses of the Salem witch trials would contribute to changes in U.S. court procedures, playing a role in the advent of the guarantee of the right to legal representation, the right to cross-examine one’s accuser, and the presumption of innocence rather than of guilt.

Citation:

Author: Jeff Wallenfeldt

Works Cited: Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Salem Witch Trials - the Trials.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials/The-trials#ref332156.

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Tributes to the victims and how the SWT ended

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Tributes to the victims and how the SWT ended

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Summary (of text):

This is of the aftermath and how it ended. The post is also about how there is now a memorial for those in the SWT and museums and educational sites. There was also public apologies for how the Salem Trials went and how they should have ended long ago.

Quotes:

After Governor Phips’s wife was accused, he again interceded and ordered that a new court be established that would not allow so-called spectral evidence. By May 1693 everyone in custody under conviction or suspicion of witchcraft had been pardoned by Phips.

Citation:

Author: Britannica

Works Cited: “How Did the Salem Witch Trials End? | Britannica.” Www.britannica.com, www.britannica.com/question/How-did-the-Salem-witch-trials-end.

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Focus:

Influences & Aftermath

Remembrance & Legacy

Human Impact

Deaths

Research Topics:

Cultural Impact: art, music, literature, etc.

Tributes to victims

How people remember the conflict today

Long-term effects

Accusers/accused Perspective

Roles of women

Impact on Civilians

Lifestyle Changes

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Summary (of text):

The Salem witch trial began in the spring of 1692 when a group of young girls were claimed to be bewitched, leading to accusations against several local women (and men). These accusations were fueled by a combination of factors including religious beliefs, social tensions, and economic hardship.

Citation:

Author: Elizabeth Yuko

In-Text Citation: Salem Witch Trials: What Caused the Hysteria? - History - february 20, 2025

Works Cited: https://www.history.com/articles/salem-witch-trials-hysteria-factors

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In summary: Deaths in the Salem Witch Trials

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In summary: Deaths in the Salem Witch Trials

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Summary

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In summary: Influences of the Salem witch trials

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In summary: Influences of the Salem witch trials

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Summary

The Salem witch trials were likely created because of jealousy and unfairness. Not unjustified jealousy, but it was likely caused by girls feeling ignored and hurt because they were seen as so low. After the first girl accused it was likely that they enjoyed the attention and power which caught on and people continued to point out others they didn't like or assumed they were a witch. Soon they would get confused and worried from the mass spread and soon it would just become a panic and worry that people started pointing out others simply because they were scared that it could be true.

Another theory to what influenced the start of the Salem Witch Trials is that the accusers had mental diagnosis that couldn't be helped at the time such as child abuse, diseases, and schizophrenia. If this is the case, it would make sense if it were hallucinations because they could've thought that they saw somebody doing something.

In the end though, it is a confirmed fact that the Salem Witch Trails were heavily surrounded by a social structure of a Puritan society and the belief that the devil was affecting humans and caused the Salem Witch Trials as people feared those around them were witches relating somehow to the devil.

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Summary

The Salem Witch Trials left a legacy mostly consisting of legal matters. This legacy consists of assuring the sixth amendment in making sure that somebody is there to go against the accusations to make sure that it is not incorrect. It also made sure to question both sides, assuring it is not simply said because one does not like the other. Along with that, it confirmed innocent until proven guilty which prior had been guilty until proven innocent. With it being guilty until proven innocent, people died in the prison who may have lived had they not been in the prison. More of the legal legacy created through the Salem Witch Trials, it ensured that people needed more evidence than just eye witness to make sure it is accurate and correct.

Along with this though, there was also a legacy left in Salem around the witch trials. There are museums and educational centers focused only on the witch trials and what went on during them. Sadly though, sometimes it's not taken as series as some wish it would be because of the innocent lives lost. It is now seen as a tourist spot over Halloween full of shops and amusement places. There is still a heavy educational aspect to it, informing people of what went on, but it is now majority just a tourist spot for October.

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Summary (of text):

The accusers wanted attention and the bystanders were scared and worried about the people around them. This led to people impacted during the time. The text is about the psychology around the Salem Witch Trials.

Quotes:

Something that may have fueled the Salem witch trials was the social position of the girls who first made the accusations. “For the first time, the most influential people in the town are listening to the least powerful, most silenced minority group—these young girls,” Larry explained. The more accusations they make, the more famous they become and the more authority and recognition they receive.

Citation:

Works Cited: Robinson, Erin. “Unraveling the Psychological Drivers of the Salem Witch Trials | Hogan Assessments.” Hogan Assessments, 5 Nov. 2024, www.hoganassessments.com/blog/psychological-drivers-salem-witch-trials/.

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Summary (of text):

The accusers being affected by these likely led to why they were acting so. It is part of what was going on in their minds at the time and why.

Quotes:

“Many modern theories suggest the girls were suffering from epilepsy, boredom, child abuse, mental illness, or even a disease brought on by eating rye infected with fungus,”

Citation:

Works Cited: New England Law. “A True Legal Horror Story: The Laws Leading to the Salem Witch Trials.” Www.nesl.edu, New England Law Boston, 2024, www.nesl.edu/blog/detail/a-true-legal-horror-story-the-laws-leading-to-the-salem-witch-trials.

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Summary (of text):

What was once a murderous town full of terrors is now a fun Halloween place full of witch shops and candy stores :) So respectful of the people who died due to that.

Quotes:

Thousands of tourists visit the memorial each year. While most treat the space with reverence, some, particularly during the Halloween season, fail to appreciate the weight of this tragic history. Perhaps that is the reality of any public memorial dedicated to such distant events.

Citation:

Author:

Works Cited: New England Law. “A True Legal Horror Story: October 27, et al. “The Salem Witch Trials Memorial: Finding Humanity in Tragedy.” Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, 27 Oct. 2022, folklife.si.edu/magazine/salem-witch-trials-memorial.

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Summary (of text):

Led people to be more aware of mass hysteria and it's affects and what can happen from it. It also led to the understanding of people abusing power and how people may be desperate for power. It led to people wanting more reasonable trials and a need for evidence. It became a huge current day metaphor for fear and scapegoating.

Citation:

Author: Jeff Wallenfeldt

Works Cited: Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Salem Witch Trials.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials.

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Summary (of text):

After the SWT it left a heavy legacy in the government and how the laws were written and how they should be in the legal system. It left a legacy of innocent until proven guilty and the need for actual evidence.

Quotes:

The abuses of the Salem witch trials would contribute to changes in U.S. court procedures, playing a role in the advent of the guarantee of the right to legal representation, the right to cross-examine one’s accuser, and the presumption of innocence rather than of guilt.

Citation:

Author: Jeff Wallenfeldt

Works Cited: Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Salem Witch Trials.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials.

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Impact on civilians and lifestyle changes

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Impact on civilians and lifestyle changes

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Summary (of text):

While it might have been only for a while after and during the SWT, it led to mass fear and trauma among the civilians. It led to long lasting psychological effects on the community and a economic impact because the accused had to give up their land. The major legacy by the SWT was the legal route and how it helped shaped laws.

During the SWT people's life changed because people they'd depended on left for either jail or were dead. People were scared and fearing of everybody around them because nobody trusted anybody which led to people living in a constant state of fear. It led to people being alone and against socializing out of fear of being either accused or of the supposed witches.

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Summary (of text):

Unlike almost every other witch trial in Europe and British America, this was the only known trial that was led by women. It is unclear why this one specifically was led by women but the likeliest reason is some girl accused once then once they realized how much attention it created they continued and spread until it became a mix of power and fear.

Citation:

Author: Sarah Pruitt

Works Cited: Pruitt, Sarah. “Salem Witch Trials: Who Were the Main Accusers? | HISTORY.” HISTORY, 27 Sept. 2021, www.history.com/articles/salem-witch-trials-accusers.

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Summary (of text):

Before the Salem witch trials, the people of Salem Village (now Danvers, MA) and Salem Town were experiencing a variety of challenges and tensions, including the aftermath of wars, a smallpox epidemic, and a rising fear of attacks from Native American tribes. These events, coupled with internal disputes and a growing rivalry between the two communities, created a climate of fear and paranoia that ultimately led to the trials.

Citation:

Author: Jay Menice

In-Text Citation: CHRONOLOGY PRIOR TO SALEM TRIALS - 1692 Salem Witch Museum - no date stated

Works Cited: https://salemwitchmuseum.com/chronology-prior-to-salem-trials/

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Written by: Jay Menice

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. Living hundreds of years later, we still search for answers, wondering what caused these strange and tragic events to take place. Over time, historians have proposed a diverse array of theories, each identifying different factors and events that warrant serious consideration.

While there will most likely never be one single answer to explain the actions of this dark year, it is important to understand the events and circumstances that led to 1692. Religious, social, political, and environment factors created an environment of growing fear and tension. Significant conflict was building in both Salem Village, and on a larger scale, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in the years leading up to 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. It is helpful, if not essential, to consider these factors when studying the events that took place in Salem in 1692.

1603-1625: Reign of King James I in England. Consolidating Scotland and England under his rule, this reign creates the unified Kingdom of Great Britain.

1620: Puritan migration begins. Though often used interchangeably, the terms Puritan and Pilgrim, describe two groups within the early New England settlers. Pilgrims are English separatists who heavily criticize the corruption within the Church of England and seek to form independent local churches. In contrast, Puritans hope to "purify" the Church of England through reform.

1626: Naumkeag (Salem) is founded by Roger Conant from Cape Anne.

1629: King Charles I grants a charter to the Massachusetts Bay Company.

1630: Massachusetts Bay Colony is settled by a group of approximately 1,000 pilgrims. John Winthrop and Thomas Dudley are appointed Governor and Deputy Governor respectively. Governor Winthrop declares, "There shall be a city on a hill."

1642-1651: Period of English Civil Wars. Conflicts between King Charles I and opposition within England, Scotland, and Ireland result in his execution and the exile of his son. Oliver Cromwell rules as lord protector during the republican Commonwealth, promoting the Puritan religion until his death in 1658.

1645-1715: Coldest period of the Little Ace Age. Stretching from approximately 1500 to 1850, there are highly irregular weather patterns across the Northern Hemisphere. In colonial America, there are freezing winters and brutally hot summers.

1660- Following the fall of the Commonwealth, the English monarchy is restored, resulting in the return of King Charles II. Dying with no legitimate heir in 1685, he is succeeded by his brother, James II.

1666: A number of Salem farmers petition to hire their own ministers, due to the arduous hike, especially through the harsh conditions of winter ice and snow, to Salem Town's meeting house.

1669-28: Villagers refused to pay taxes for the Salem Town meeting house, demanding contributions to their meeting house. At a stalemate, matters are taken to the court.

1672: Salem Town allows Salem Village to build a meeting house and hire their own minister, though the Village is still technically part of the Salem Town church. Villagers still have to go to Salem Town to receive sacraments and accept new members. Factions begin to emerge opposing the minstrel candidates. This year, James Bayley is appointed the first minister of Salem Village.

1673: People living on the boundary of Salem Village, tied to Salem town church, feel they have the right to hire and fire ministers. In Salem Village, the faction opposing Bayley's ministry increases. As a result, his salary is not paid.

1675-1676: King Phillip's War in Southern New England and Maine escalates with the Indigenous inhabitants. This conflict results in massive causalities on both sides. Given the close proximity of Essex County, and Salem specifically, to the northern frontier, many refugees settle in this area.

1676: King Phillip's War continues to produce enormous casualties on both sides. Several individuals involved in the later Salem trials survive raids during this time. During this year, Wabanaki attacks in Falmouth Maine force one-year-old Mercy Lewis and her parents to flee to an island at Casco Bay. Both Mercy's grandparents and other family members are killed during the raids. The year prior, the nearly two-years-old Susanna Sheldon also became a war refugee.

1680-1683: The factional dispute continues in Salem Village. George Burroughs, a refugee of the northern Native American wars, replaces James Bayley as minister of Salem Village.

1683- After protracted salary disputes, George Burroughs also resigns as minister of Salem Village and returns to Maine. Deodat Lawson becomes the third ministerial candidate in Salem Village.

1684- King Charles II revokes all charters under English dominion, including the Massachusetts Bay Colony charter, only renewing them after a demonstration of loyalty to the crown. The independent nature of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, built upon a foundation of Puritan ideology, makes King Charles particularly hesitant to reissue a charter. Under the original charter, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was remarkably autonomous, more so than any other colony. It allowed the colonial government to establish its own legal code, that, while based in English law, was specific to the colony. Without a charter, the colony loses considerable autonomy, including the ability to elect their own governing officials. This also jeopardizes land ownership, as the removal of the charter voids existing land titles. Of even greater concern is the fear that the revocation of the Puritan influenced charter marks the downfall of the great Puritan experiment. Distraught by the thought that the work of their forefathers would come to naught, many worry the City on a Hill will never be attained.

1685: Charles II dies. James II becomes king of England.

1686: King James appoints Sir Edmund Andros as Governor of the Dominion of New England. The new governor has dominion over territories of Maine, Plymouth, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Governor Andros enthusiastically alters laws, passes new taxes, and founds the first Anglican church in New England, Boston's South Church. Under his rule, Quakers And Baptists are allowed worship freely. Many interpret this action as a spiritual crisis and threat to the City on a Hill.

1688-1689- The Glorious Revolution begins in England. Roman Catholic King James II enacts policies of religious intolerance that lead to the successful invasion of the Dutch Prince William of Orange. King William III and his wife, Mary II, are made joint monarchs of England. When news of the revolution reaches Boston, an uprising overthrows the unpopular Andros government. A temporary government based on the original charter is established to retain order in the wake of this upheaval.

1688-1697: Fighting between colonists and Native tribes resumes. This conflict is known as the Second Indian Wars or King William's War. 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 leads to another large influx of refugees to Salem and the surrounding areas. Abigail Hobbs, Susannah Sheldon, Sara Churchwell, Mercy Short, all refugees from Maine, are later witnesses during the Salem witch trials. Having experienced the loss of family members, their communities, and homes, one can understand how these young women and children may have feared the devil lurking in the wilderness all around them.

1689: Samuel Paris becomes the first ordained minister of Salem Village. Though popular with certain prominent family's in the Village, including the influential Putnam family, others oppose his appointment. Joseph Porter, Joseph Hutchinson, Daniel Andrew, Joseph Putnam and Francis Nurse vote not to pay Paris's salary for a year. Salem Village falls into a deeper factional crisis, divided between those for and against Samuel Parris.

1692: There are many factors that contribute to the rise in fear, paranoia, and tension in the years leading up to the witch trials. One must consider how outbreaks of smallpox, Native attacks, wars, religious disputes, and harsh weather conditions would be interpreted by the people of this time. For the Puritans, this trouble is a cosmic sign. Behind it all is the belief the devil is lurking around every corner, seeking to ignite a moral panic and conspiracy of witches.

In this fearful climate, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris suddenly fall ill with strange and frightening symptoms. By mid-February, a local physician diagnoses this behavior as the result of bewitchment. As word of the illness spreads throughout Salem Village, and eventually Essex County, others begin to fall ill with the same alarming symptoms. The afflicted complain disembodied spirits stab and choke them and report terrifying visions. Soon, the afflicted identify these specters, naming neighbors, acquaintances, and total strangers as witches. Those who do not act in accordance with accepted social norms, such as outsiders and beggars, are the easiest to suspect. In Salem Village, the first accusations name a slave, a woman who married beneath her station, and a beggar. As fear continues to spread, those who are not obvious suspects are also accused, in many cases driven by old family feuds and rumors.

Because Massachusetts law is still uncertain, an emergency court is established. This special court, the Court of Oyer and Terminer, is led by elite members of the colony. Though the court attempts to conform to existing English law, the legal limbo posed by the freshly appointed charter leaves the court to make determinations based on their own research and judgment. For this reason, the controversial spectral sightings are used as admissible evidence for a conviction.

This unique court, combined with the years of infighting in Salem Village and massive tension across the colony, lead to the largest and most intensive witch-hunt to take place in the colonies. By the time the trials come to an end, 25 people are dead-five 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.

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CHRONOLOGY PRIOR TO SALEM TRIALS - Salem Witch Museum

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Written by: Jay Menice 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...

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Summary

The Salem Witch trials changed how people lived after the trials ended and how people in that community survived. It completely altered peoples mental state and health. The human impact on todays world was heavy, but during the trials and directly after it was stronger than ever.

While it might have only been for a while after the Salem witch trials, it led to mass fear and trauma among the civilians. People were looking around them at people who might have been one of the largest aspects that they feared and were terrified constantly. Watching their loved ones die in front of them and losing connections with those around them as they feared that perhaps they also were witches. Imagine having to look around constantly in fear that somebody ten feet away was a witch, everyday, all day. Soon I imagine it became people saw the smallest thing that was off about somebody and reported them to save themselves in fear of them being a witch. It messed with peoples mindset by being in a constant state of kill or be killed which left long lasting psychological effects on the community. Along with that, it led to a economic struggle for families as those accused had to give up their land leading to poverty and homelessness because they had no place to live and no money to afford life.

The Salem Witch Trials left a huge change on peoples life because people that they depended upon left for either jail or died. The rumors and trials led people to be scared of everybody and in a constant state of fear. It led people to be alone and against socializing out of fear of being either accused of being a witch or of the supposed witches themselves. While this likely led to closer relationships with the people in their homes, it also led to broken relationships with neighbors and friends. It made people scared of others and likely similar to the Covid quarantine how the number of people depressed in America rose after being alone for so long. While depression the diagnose might not have existed, the symptoms were still found and likely rose after the Salem Witch Trials after being alone for so long and family and friends dying.

While it left a stronger impact directly after the trials, it also left a lasting human impacts For example it led people to be aware of mass hysteria and its affect and how it happens. It led people to understand how events such as the trials happen and led to a bigger understanding of how people can abuse power and how they may be desperate for that power. Finally the Salem Witch Trials became a heavy metaphor for fear and scapegoating to explain how current day actions may be similar.