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Founding of Salem and English Law
The town of Salem, Massachusetts was founded in 1629, and English law was declared in 1641. Meaning that witchcraft was a capital crime. -
What led up to the trials
Elizebeth Parris (age 9) and Abigail Williams (age 12) start to exhibit strange behavior. They started to make strange noises, contort their bodies in weird ways, and complained of headaches. This is what starts the belief of witchcraft in Salem village. -
Accusations of Witchcraft Begin...
Elizebeth and Abigail accuse three women for causing their bizarre outbursts. They accused Sarah Osborne, Sarah Good, and Tituba after Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne, who were both magistrates, pressured the girls into telling them who was responsible. Despite the lack of evidence, based on the girls’ accusations arrest warrants were sent out to the three women who would have to face court for their alleged crimes. This shows how flawed U.S. courts were at the time. -
Questioning the Accused
The three women are taken for questioning. The two Sarah's go back and forth when asked who is guilty. Tituba, however, confesses to say that both girls are witches and describes her encounter with the Devil. She said, “The Devil came to me and bid me serve him.” Tituba goes on to state that there are more witches all around Salem which caused people to start to panic. This accusation of more witches could be a forced statement by the two judges however no evidence supports or denies this claim. -
The Trials Claim their First Victims
Accusations run wild around Salem and nobody was safe as people of all ages were convicted. Due to this, governor William Phipps established the Court of Oyer and Terminer. Bridget Bishop was the first to be found guilty and executed. Between July and September of 1692, 18 more people would be executed. One man named George Burroughs was suspected of using an invisibility cloak. This shows that much of the evidence in these trials did not support the accusation. -
Bridget Bishop Source
This photo is an examination of Bridget Bishop's final words before she was sentenced to be hung due to her being a witch. In the source, she states "I am not a witch, I'm sure of it, I know nothing of it." This quote goes a long way as it shows just how flawed our judicial system was and why it works the way it does today. -
Law and Order in the Judicial System begins to change
Increase Mather who was a Puritan Minister implored the court to not consider spectral evidence in the trials. This resulted in the freeing of some who were convicted of witchcraft. He replaced the Court of Oyer and Terminer with “The Superior Court of Judicature” which was prohibited to consider testimonies of spectral evidence. Most women who were convicted were young and were convicted by men and none of those executed admitted to being a witch and this can be seen in final confessions. -
The Courts Change for Good
The new superior court finds many to be innocent and releases them. Many were released due to their cases being supported with spectral evidence. These trials are why the United States Jury System is the way it is. It contributed to changes such as instituting rights to legal representation, cross-examination of accusers, and the well-known statement of innocent until proven guilty. In 1711, the legislature of the Province of Massachusetts restored all rights to those who were found guilty. -
Works Cited
John Hauthorn. “Examination of Bridget Bishop, as Recorded by Samuel Parris”. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n13.html Trask, Richard B. 1997. “The Devil hath been raised”: A Documentary History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Outbreak of March 1692. Yeoman Press, 1992. https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/introTraskBook.html Virginia.edu.2022 "Bridget Bishop's Last Words" Accessed December 4, 2022 https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/archives/ecca/large/ecca1125r.jpg -
Works Cited Continued
Wallenfeldt, Jeff. 1998.“Salem witch trials”. Britannica. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials Wikipedia. 2022. “Salem witch trials”. Last Modified October 5, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials
