Salem Witch Trials
Time Line:
1.- 1626 Founding of Salem.
2.-1686-87 Efforts to form a church in
Salem.
3.-1688 Samual Parris arrives.
4.-1691 October: Parris wins control of
the Salem Village parish committee.
5.-1692 January to May: Witchcraft afflictions,
accusatins and arrest
6.-June to September: Witchcraft trials
and executions.
7.-1695 April : Meeting at Salem Village
under the leadership of
Reverend Mather, hints that Parris should
resign.
8.- May: The council recommends more forcibly
that Parris should resign.
9.-1696 July resignation of Samual Parris.
10.-1752 Salem Village becomes the town
of Danvers.
The Victims of the Hysteria.
June 10 - Bridget Bishop of Salem
June 19 - Sarah
Good, Salem Village
Rebecca Nurse, Salem Village
Susannah Martin, Amesbury
Elizabeth How, Ipswich
Sarah Wildes, Topsfield
August 19 - George Burroughs, Wells, Maine
John Proctor, Salem Village
John Willard, Salem Village
George Jacobs, Salem
Martha Carrier, Andover
September 19 - Giles Cory, Salem Farms, only accused
pressed to death
September 22 - Martha Cory, Salem Farms
Mary Eastey, Topsfield
Alice Parker, Salem
Ann Pudeater, Salem
Margaret Scott, Rowley
Wilmet Redd, Marblehead
Samuel Wardwell, Andover
Mary Parker, Andover
The Afflicted Girls
Elizabeth Parris 9
Abigail Williams 11
Ann Putnam, Jr. 12
Ann Putnam Sr.
Elizabeth Hubbard
18
Mary Warren 17
Mercy Lewis 19
Mary Walcott 16
Sarah Bibber 36
Elizabeth Booth 16
Gertrude Pope middle aged
Elizabeth Churchhill 20
Susannah Sheldon 18.
In 1692 more then 400 persons were accused
of practicing witchcraft in the Massachusetts witchcraft
hysteria. Of these 400 people, 19 were hanged and one
old man, refusing to enter a plea, was pressed to death.
by the end of the hysteria 150 people were in various
jails in Massachusetts, some of these people were
already sentenced to death, others still waiting for their
trial. By order of the goverment, they accused were
realesed and their jail costs paid.
All of the witchcraft hysteria started with a
group of girls interested in fortune telling. The girls
would make a "crystal ball" by breaking an egg into a
glass of water and seeing what images was made of the
egg. One of the girls wanting to see her future husband,
thought she saw a coffin instead and started accusing
Parris's slave of witchcraft
Once Salem Village had rid themselves of
most of their witches, the people of several towns asked
to borrow the girls to help pick out the witches living in
their towns. Within a short time the girls had uncovered
a large number of "witches". As time went on the girls
started to accuse highly-placed people, including the
wives and mother in laws of reverends, judges and
governors.
This is mainly how the witch hysteria ended.
THE MAN OF IRON
Giles Cory was a wizard
strong, a stubborn wretch
was he; And fit was he to hang on high upon the locust tree.
So, when before the
Magistrates for trial he did
come, He would no
true confession make, but
was completely dumb.
" Giles Cory," said the
Magistrate, " What hast thou
here to plead To those who
now accuse thy soul of
crime and horrid deed?"
They got them then a heavy
beam, then laid it on
his breast; They loaded
it with heavy stones, and
hard apon him prest.
" More weight !"
now said this wretched man,
" More weight !" again
he cried; And he did no
confession make, but wickedly he died.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This poem was written sometime in the
early 18th
century by an unknown author. It
is a tribute to an 80 year
old uneducated farmer, who is the only man in our history
who was ever legally pressed to
death.
Martha Cory, Giles wife, was skeptical
about the
girls that were afflicted
and let her doubts be known in
public. When the girls learned
that Martha doubted them, they accused her.
When at trial, Giles was called to the
witness stand
at Martha's trial.Giles went on
to recall uncommon
accidents that went on since he married
Martha.Once home,
Giles realized that the Magistrate
had used his statement
against Martha. Knowing Martha
was innocent, Giles spoke
out against the girls also which
lead to a warrant for Giles
on April 19th for witchcraft.
