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The Story of the Salem Witch Trials

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The Story of the Salem Witch Trials

The Salem witch frenzy began in the home of an esteemed Puritan church leader named Samuel Parris.

The Salem Witch Trials started from a long history of witchcraft beliefs. Witchcraft became prevalent in England during the 13th century and was viewed as anti-religious. Everyday problems in a person’s life were blamed on witchcraft. Witches were believed to have a covenant or pact with Satan and this would endow them with powers and gifts to do his will. Being hexed or under an evil hand was a common belief in the England faith and this pertained to animals and human sickness and/or issues.

They believed that someone could be afflicted by witchcraft in the same manner as you would catch a common cold today. An evil hand was seen as the source in someone’s life if anything unfortunate happened. Settlers arriving in the New World (United States of America) came with the Puritan religious belief system. 

The Witch Trials

In 1692, Salem, Massachusetts, was a hardworking, thriving, farm and fishing colonial town. Fear and corruption ran rampant in the United States due to a dark period in history. The Salem witch frenzy began in the home of an esteemed Puritan church leader named Samuel Parris. His young daughter Betty and his niece Abigail became afflicted with an unknown illness. The girls started having fits; including violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming. They would go into convulsions and run towards the fireplace as if to jump in and set themselves on fire. They also had alleged unexplained bite marks on their bodies. Different doctors and physicians were called in and they were prayed over. 

The doctors believed the girls were cursed under an evil hand and it was the Devil’s work. Moreover, the physicians did not believe these afflictions were natural, it was supernatural. Salem erupted into hysteria as leaders and members of the community demanded answers. Magistrates, Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne were appointed to find the source of the afflictions. The first person accused was Tituba, who was a family slave. She practiced voodoo and witchcraft from the Caribbean. She was brought to trial and confessed that a dark man came and told her to serve him. 



Spectral evidence was the sole basis on which the court could determine if someone was a witch or not.

According to USLegal.com, the definition of spectral evidence is:

Spectral evidence refers to a witness testimony that the accused person’s spirit or spectral shape appeared to him/her witness in a dream at the time the accused person’s physical body was at another location. It was accepted in the courts during the Salem Witch Trials. The evidence was accepted on the basis that the devil and his minions were powerful enough to send their spirits, or specters, to pure, religious people in order to lead them astray. In spectral evidence, the admission of victims’ conjectures is governed only by the limits of their fears and imaginations, whether or not objectively proven facts are forthcoming to justify them. [State v. Dustin, 122 N.H. 544, 551 (N.H. 1982)].”

In the beginning, the arrests were towards the weak and desolate individuals of society. Later, the arrests were directed toward members who had wealth and status. More girls in the community became ill and made accusations of witchcraft. In the end, over 190 people had informal charges against them, five died in prison (including a child), and 19 men and women were hanged. The root of the Salem Witch Trials was later found to be fear and greed. People were being put on trial and all of their personal property and livestock was confiscated and seized by officials.

Present-Day Paranormal Activity

Over 300 years later, there has been reported paranormal activity mainly in four locations: the home of a witch trial magistrate, a family-oriented restaurant, a cemetery, and the site of the hangings. These hot spots are filled with an unexplained phenomenon that is forever linked to the witch trials and executions.

The End of the Salem Trials

The ending of the Salem Witch Trials occurred when a well-respected preacher from Boston named Increase Mather learned of the atrocity. In his article, “Cases of Conscience” he debunked the use of spectral evidence as a way to convict assumed witches. He proved that spectral evidence could and should not be used as the basis to hang someone or put them in jail. The Governor stopped the trials and many people in jail were released. The jurors were changed to include people from the local community and not just the church.



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