Salem Witch Trials Crazy Facts

Specialists Claim to Have Uncovered the Spine-Tingling Truth About the Salem Witch Trials.

Salem Massachusetts if you were living in Salem Massachusetts 300 years ago you could have been accused of witchcraft and put to death no evidence of magic was necessary just in allegation during the town's year-long witch chase 200 individuals were blamed for rehearsing black magic of the 210 percent were executed by the town authorities since the witch preliminaries ended people have been trying to learn more about that time today experts claim to have uncovered the spine-tingling truth about the Salem witch trials.

Tourists when you compare the Salem witch trials to other horrific events in US history it may seem rather insignificant despite this the witch trials have captivated millions for hundreds of years each year over a million tourists visit Salem to relive the creepy horrific events that unfolded over 300 years ago because the witch trials are the deadliest of their kind during the colonial period in North America it has become a significant part of history those accused of witchcraft were hung crushed to death or burned to death everything that happened back then was so crazy that these events have been the subject of movies books and an Arthur Miller play.

Cautionary Tale while the Salem witch trials make for good stories today they should also be used as a cautionary tale against due process extremism and mass hysteria after experts have been digging deeper into the Salem witch trials they have determined that it wasn't all about people's beliefs that put people on such a terrible path the experts believe that the whole thing was caused by an ordinary part of the residents everyday lives.

It wasn't just Salem Salem wasn't the only place that dealt with witchcraft claims in this way the Salem witch trials began in 1692 and long before that many European countries had been killing residents who were suspected of practicing black magic in Europe between the 14th century until the end of the 17th century tens of thousands of people were executed because they were accused of witchcraft.

The Settlers during King William's war the English William and Mary went to war against Frances North American colonies there were battles in Quebec Nova Scotia and upstate New York and many locals left they wanted to find a war free zone and many fled to Essex County Massachusetts and made Salem their new home the new settlers in Salem didn't try to get to know the locals they put a strain on the villages resources and those who worked hard in the agriculture industry and working at the town port didn't appreciate.

Reverend Samuel Parris at the time the leader of Salem was controversial and religious he was the town's first ordained minister and became ordained the same year that king william's war began not everyone liked the Reverend some believed that he was too strict and despite his religious post he was very greedy religion was also an issue in Salem back then Salem's Puritan residents wanted to remove the Roman Catholic influence from the English Protestant faith because of this there was a lot of tension and fighting and the village people believed that it was set in motion by the devil.

Strange Behavior everything came to a head in January 1692 when something strange occurred in Reverend Paris's family his nine-year-old daughter Elizabeth and her 11 year old cousin Abigail Williams started to have unexplained fits the girls were making strange noises contorting their bodies they were shrieking and throwing things when another girl eleven-year-old and Putnam started showing the same symptoms Salem's doctor checked them out he claimed that something supernatural was causing the girls of behavior.

Pointing Fingers by the end of February 1692 Salem magistrate's Jonathan Corwin and John Hawthorne forced the three girls to point out the people who had bewitched them soon they chose three women the first was the Parris family slave Tituba the second was a panhandler named Sarah Goode the third was Sarah Osborne who was an older woman who lived in poverty when accused Sarah Goode and Sarah Osborne denied the charge however Tituba admitted to having a conversation with the devil she said the devil came to me and bid me to serve him she told the town officials that witches had arrived in Salem to ruin the Puritan force she said that she had visions of black dogs red cats in a dark figure who wanted her to sign the devil's book she even implicated the two other women in her witchcraft.

Out Of Control with all three women hind bars things got out of control a god-fearing woman named Martha Corey was accused of witchcraft Bridget bishop was also accused the first to face a trial she had a reputation of being a gossip and for being promiscuous when the town officials asked Bridget if she was practicing witchcraft she said that she and her unborn child were innocent but she was hung from the gallows on June 10th 1692 between July and August 1692 10 people were executed on September 8th more were executed in October the state Governor William Phips established a court to hear the witch trials but when his own wife was accused he shut it down he froze all witchcraft arrests and released those accused from jail he changed the Spector evidence that was used in the trials and as a result only three of the 56 accused were put to death in May 1963 those in jail for witchcraft all earned pardons sadly these decisions came too late for those who were already put to death most were hung but when Giles Corey refused to enter a plea he was crushed for three days until he died.

The End finally the Salem witch trials came to an end when a judge named Samuel Sewell admitted publicly that errors were made during the trials the entire town fasted for a day to think about the tragedy that unfolded in the town in 1711 the colonists accused had their rights and reputations restored the heirs of the accused received 600 pounds in compensation.

Why? behavioral scientist Linda Caporal has a theory to explain why the Salem witch trials occurred during the summer of 1691 Salem had a lot of rain this caused a fungus called ergot to grow on the supply of rye if ingested it had the same effects as LSD this is what caused the girl strange behavior and their paranoia when mass hysteria took over everything fell apart.

If you enjoyed this article leave us a comment and tell us what you thought.