Salem Witch Trials 1692-1693

The Salem Witch Trials 1692-1693

     The Salem Witch Trials was an event that occurred in Colonial Massachusetts in the village
 of Salem.

 This event occurred between February 1692 and May 1693. In this event there was a series of prosecutions as people were being accused for the use of witchcraft. Witchcraft is the practice and belief of magic and in this case these people were being accused for devils magic meaning they had a secret alliance with the devil. These people who practiced witchcraft were known as witches and Christians believed that the devil will give them certain powers to harm people in return for his faithfulness. In 1689 the English rulers began a war between France and American colonies known as King William's War. The war destroyed many upstate regions including the Salem Village. This was a cause to the Salem With Trials because the war destroyed the region causing family rivalries as they fought over limited resources. In January 1692 Reverend Parris daughter Elizabeth and niece Abigail Williams they began having fits. these to young girls began to scream strange sounds and twist themselves into strange positions. The doctor blamed the supernatural for this kind of behavior. On February 29 these girls blamed three woman for their suffering and illness. Since the Christians believed that the devil is in fact on Earth and causes diseases and catastrophes. These three woman Tituba, a Caribbean slave, Sarah Good a homeless, and Sarah Osborne a old poor woman were acused of being a witch whom were servants of the devil.
    The Tituba and both Sarahs were the first of many accused of witchcraft. Out of the three Tituba agreed that she had came in contact with the devil. Tituba admitted that there was many more witches looking to kill the Puritans, so they were imprisoned. Later on another woman known as Martha Corey was accused of witch craft as well and was a loyal member of the church. The Puritans began to realize that anyone could be a witch. On May 27, 1692 Governor William Phipps called for a Special Court of Oyer and Terminer. In their first case with Bridget Bishop she was accused guilty and sentenced to death. She became the first of many to be killed and hanged at Gallows Hill a barren slope near Salem Village for hanging.
More than 200 people were accused of witchcraft and 20 were executed.
     Mostly all of these people were accused of
witchcraft due to spectral evidence. Spectral evidence is a type of evidence based on dreams and visions. The evidence was supernatural so for example a person can say a witch casted spells on them when that certain "Witch" was never even near that person. A man Known as Increase Mather who was a Puritan minister argued that spectral evidence was being misused. He wrote a letter to the court and published a book called Case of Conscience supporting his argument in 1693. This helped bring an end to the Salem Witch Trials as Governor Phipps and his wife began to be questioned about the witchcraft he put a stop to all arrest and vanished the Supreme Court of Oyer and Terminer on October 29, 1693. Eventually the colony realized they had made a mistake and paid the families of the ones convicted for their loss.

Increase Mather