The Salem Witch Trial

The first four colonies of America were, New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Rhode Island, following with Connecticut. John Winthrop, Thomas Hooker, Roger Williams, along with Anne Hutchinson, were few of the founders of the first colonies. Centered around religion, after escaping religious persecution, these colonies based the way they lived their lives around the Bible, Church, along with the New testament. The Puritans emphasized religious obligations and followed strict guidelines pertaining to the Bible. They broke away from the church of England and became their own religion following the teachings of the Bible as well as the Old Testament. Most Puritans settled in New England, but immigrated to the Americas to escape religious

The village doctor diagnosed the girls bewitched and three were accused of leading the others into the rituals, and hence arrested. Another 150 other villagers were accused and arrested for suspicion of witchcraft after a witch hunt until the main verdicts were sentenced. Besides the falsely convicted villagers, all except one girl, were hung.

The burial point where the Salem Witch trials took place, to this day, remains a mystery. Gallows Hill is recorded in the records taken by the villagers to be the place of execution. On the contrary, evidence is yet to be found. Accusations indicate that the recorded site of the hangings took place in a different area.

John Proctor was able to sustain his innocence until the day he was hung. At the age of 60, John was convicted and tried for witchcraft and refused to plead guilty as an innocent man. Proctor was the first man accused of witchcraft after protecting and speaking in place for his wife when she was tried in court. All of John’s family, including his children, were accused. Proctor was executed August 19,

Betty was never put to death for her actions, but as an alternative, moved away from Salem Village to Salem town, where her precarious behavior stopped. Later did she marry Benjamin Baron and raised four kids and died in the year 1760.

Sarah Good was one of the falsely accused women during the Salem witch trials. A warrant for her arrest was issued February 29, 1692. Sarah never confessed but did indeed accuse another. During the trials, Good remained stern to the statement that she was “falsely accused.” Though her words said otherwise, Sarah was ordered to execution July 19, 1692.

Tituba was the slave of the Parris family, and the first to be accused of influencing the girls to practice witchcraft. Tituba confessed to many activities practicing the use of black magic. For the reason that Tituba confessed, her case never went to trial therefore, spared execution.

As the oldest of the bewitched girls, 20 year old Mary Warren was arrested for witchcraft. Though accused, she testified for many of the others accused in the village. Mary was scrutinized 4 times until she willingly confessed to participating along with the other girls. Warren remains one of the three girls that have no tracked record after the trials