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Salem settled in 1629, and English Law declared witchcraft to be a capital crime in 1641
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Eleven-year old Abigail Williams and nine-year-old Elizabeth Parris begin behaving strangely after witnessing Tituba's voodoo rituals. They started to scream out of no where, act out, and became very ill. Soon Ann Putnam Jr. and other Salem girls began to act similarly. Also, Doctor Griggs, suggests that witchcraft may be the cause of their strange behavior.
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The girls were pressured by ministers and townspeople to say who caused her odd behavior,The girls accuse Sarah Good and Tituba of witchtcraft. Arrest warrants are issued for Tituba, Sarah Good.
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Magistrates begin to examine Tituba and Sarah Good for "witches teats." Tituba confesses to practicing witchcraft and confirms Good is her co- conspirator. After the confession, many people began to fear their neighbors of practicing witchcraft. Accusatins started to spark an increase.
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William Stoughton, was the Chief of Justice and in charge of the Salem Witch Trials. He made the desision of whether or not to be executed. However, he made his decisions based off of the peoples spectral visions. Meaning, he had no actual proof that they people were witches or not.
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Almost two-hundred people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Due to the acquisitions, executions began to occur. The towns people felt as if that was the only way to limit the practice of witch craft in thier town. If they were not hung or burned, they were thrown in jail. Although most people were not against the Witch Trails, some questioned it.
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Due to certain people questioning the Witch Trials, Cotton Mather writes a letter requesting the court not use spectral evidence as a standard. He believed that spectral evidence could not justify the person of actually being a witch. Although this letter was recived, it did not put a hold on the trials. More people were starting to be executed.
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After the 20th person had been executed, many started to believe that the trials were a mistake. They realized that spectral evidence was indeed no actual proof to accuse the people of being witches. In result to that, the accused victims were relaesed from jail, and their families were compensated. William Stoughton was removed from the trials, and the Salem Witch Trials finally ended.
