how many individuals died as a result of the salem witch trials? course hero

by Garnett Morissette 3 min read

What happened at the Salem witch trials?

The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft—the Devil's magic—and 20 were executed. Eventually, the colony admitted the trials were a mistake and compensated the families of those convicted.

Who were the girls from the Salem witch trials?

They accused the majority of the victims in the trials. These afflicted girls were: Elizabeth Booth, Sarah Churchill, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mercy Lewis, Ann Putnam Jr, Betty Parris, Susannah Sheldon, Mary Walcott, Mary Warren and Abigail Williams.

What caused the Salem witch trial hysteria of 1692?

The salem witch trials hysteria of 1692 was caused by the Puritans strict religious standards and intolerance of anything not accepted with their scripture. The largest account of witch trials as well as deaths by witch trials occurred in Salem, a village heavily populated with the Puritans.

What state was the Salem witch trials?

Salem Village, MassachusettsIn January 1692 mass hysteria erupted in Salem Village, Massachusetts, when the specter of witchcraft was raised after several young girls became unaccountably ill.

Who was the youngest person to be executed in the Salem Witch Trials?

Dorothy GoodBornca. 1687/1688Diedafter 1721Other namesDorcas GoodKnown forYoungest accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials2 more rows

Who is to blame for the Salem witch trials?

Many historians agree that Samuel Parris played a pivotal role in the Salem Witch Trials and some even consider him one of the main causes of the trials, according to the book The Account of the Life of Samuel Parris: “We have been thus particular in relation to the settlement of Mr.

How many witches were killed in Salem?

TwentyDuring the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Twenty of those people were executed, most by hanging. One man was pressed to death under heavy stones, the only such state-sanctioned execution of its kind.

Who was the first witch?

Bridget BishopBridget Bishop ( c. 1632 – 10 June 1692) was the first person executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692....Bridget BishopBishop, as depicted in a lithographBornBridget Magnus c. 1632 Norwich, EnglandDied10 June 1692 (aged c. 60) Salem, Colony of MassachusettsCause of deathExecution by hanging5 more rows

What were the three primary reasons for the Salem Witch Trials?

Causes for the Outbreak of Witchcraft Hysteria in SalemStrong belief that Satan is acting in the world. ... A belief that Satan recruits witches and wizards to work for him. ... A belief that a person afflicted by witchcraft exhibits certain symptoms. ... A time of troubles, making it seem likely that Satan was active.More items...

How many witches were killed?

Witch hunts The number of trials and executions varied according to time and place, but it is generally believed that some 110,000 persons in total were tried for witchcraft and between 40,000 to 60,000 were executed.

How were witches killed?

Common methods of execution for convicted witches were hanging, drowning and burning. Burning was often favored, particularly in Europe, as it was considered a more painful way to die. Prosecutors in the American colonies generally preferred hanging in cases of witchcraft.

Who started witch trials?

Accusations. The trials were started after people had been accused of witchcraft, primarily by teenage girls such as Elizabeth Hubbard, 17, as well as some who were younger.

Who are some famous witches?

LiteraryHannah Abbott (Harry Potter)Sarah "Granny" Aching (Discworld)Tiffany Aching (Discworld)Thais Allard (Balefire)Wisteria Allgood (Witch and Wizard series)Jaenelle Angelline (Black Jewels Trilogy)Anguanes (Monster Allergy)Deborah Armstrong (The Secret Circle)More items...

Who was the first afflicted girl?

Elizabeth “Betty” Parris was the first afflicted girl and one of the main accusers during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Born in Boston on November 28, 1682, Betty moved to Salem with her family and slave Tituba in November of 1689 when her father, Samuel Parris, was appointed the new minister of Salem Village.

Who were the first three people accused of witchcraft?

The first three to be accused of witchcraft were Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn. Tituba was an obvious choice (LINK TO TITUBA'S EXAMINATION).

What happened after a few girls were accused of being witches?

What happened after a few girls were accused of being witches? The girls began to name more and more community members as witches like them.

Overview

The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than two hundred people were accused. Thirty were found guilty, nineteen of whom were executed by hanging (fourteen women and five men). One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to plead, and at l…

Background

While witch trials had begun to fade out across much of Europe by the mid-17th century, they continued on the fringes of Europe and in the American Colonies. The events in 1692–1693 in Salem became a brief outburst of a sort of hysteria in the New World, while the practice was already waning in most of Europe.
In 1668, in Against Modern Sadducism, Joseph Glanvill claimed that he could p…

Timeline

In Salem Village in February 1692, Betty Parris (age 9) and her cousin Abigail Williams (age 11), the daughter and the niece, respectively, of Reverend Samuel Parris, began to have fits described as "beyond the power of epileptic fits or natural disease to effect" by John Hale, the minister of the nearby town of Beverly. The girls screamed, threw things about the room, uttered strange sounds, cra…

Legal procedures

After someone concluded that a loss, illness, or death had been caused by witchcraft, the accuser entered a complaint against the alleged witch with the local magistrates. If the complaint was deemed credible, the magistrates had the person arrested and brought in for a public examination—essentially an interrogation where the magistrates pressed the accused to confess.

Primary sources and early discussion

Puritan ministers throughout the Massachusetts Bay Colony were exceedingly interested in the trial. Several traveled to Salem in order to gather information about the trial. After witnessing the trials first-hand and gathering accounts, these ministers presented various opinions about the trial starting in 1692.
Deodat Lawson, a former minister in Salem Village, visited Salem Village in March and April 169…

Aftermath and closure

Although the last trial was held in May 1693, public response to the events continued. In the decades following the trials, survivors and family members (and their supporters) sought to establish the innocence of the individuals who were convicted and to gain compensation. In the following centuries, the descendants of those unjustly accused and condemned have sought to honor …

In literature, media and popular culture

The story of the witchcraft accusations, trials and executions has captured the imagination of writers and artists in the centuries since the event took place. Their earliest impactful use as the basis for an item of popular fiction is the 1828 novel Rachel Dyer by John Neal.
Many interpretations have taken liberties with the facts of the historical episode in the name of literary and/or artistic license. As the trials took place at the intersection between a gradually dis…

Medical theories about the reported afflictions

The cause of the symptoms of those who claimed affliction continues to be a subject of interest. Various medical and psychological explanations for the observed symptoms have been explored by researchers, including psychological hysteria in response to Indian attacks, convulsive ergotism caused by eating rye bread made from grain infected by the fungus Claviceps purpurea (a natural substance from which LSD is derived), an epidemic of bird-borne encephalitis lethargica, and slee…