Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials

• The Salem Witch Trials began in what is now known as Danvers Massachusetts.

• In the 17th century Danvers was known as Salem Massachusetts.

• The Salem Witch Trials lasted from June of 1692 to September of 1692.

• By the end of the trials 150 people had spent time in jail and 24 innocent people were killed.

The Salem Witch Trials

• The trials began with 11 year old Abigail

Williams and 9 year old Elizabeth Parris.

• These girls acted in a manner that was strange

to the Puritans of the time.

The Salem Witch Trials

• Abigail Williams was Elizabeth’s cousin.

Elizabeth Parris was the daughter of the

town minister.

• Abigail and Elizabeth were not allowed to

have toys or play like most children of the

time would, this was seen as idleness and

sinful.

• Instead the girls were encouraged to

concentrate on chores and studying bible

verses.

The Salem Witch Trials

• At night Abigail and Elizabeth would spend

their nights by the fire with Reverend

Parris’s slave Tituba (from Barbados).

• Tituba entertained the girls with magic,

fortune telling and story telling from her

homeland.

• This was forbidden by Puritan law.

The Salem Witch Trials

• Abigail and Elizabeth began acting

strangely: speaking in tongues and having

wild convulsions.

• The village doctor was called in, he was

sure the girls were victims of witch craft.

• One Sunday in January as the Reverend

began his sermon the girls in town fell into

a fit.

The Salem Witch Trials

• The town concerned for the girls asked

who had cast a spell on them.

• Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne

were named.

• Tituba, a slave. Sarah Good, a homeless

woman. Sarah Osborne a woman who

had married her servant.

The Salem Witch Trials

• When placed on trial both Sarah’s maintained

their innocence, Tituba however claimed there

were other witches in Salem.

• This admission started the wave of hysteria that

engulfed Salem.

• Behind this paranoia were Elizabeth and Abigail.

The hysteria was being controlled by two young

girls.

The Salem Witch Trials

• Many of those accused were prominent members of the

Salem community.

• Many of these characters are seen in the play The

Crucible.

Traits of a witch…

• Singing

• Reading

• Not conforming to Puritan law

• Not getting along with your

neighbor

• Spending time alone

• Writing

The Accusation Process

• The afflicted person makes a complaint

to the Magistrate about a suspected

witch. The complaint is sometimes

made through a third person.

The Accusation Process

• The Magistrate issues a warrant for the

arrest of the accused person.

The Accusation Process

• The accused person is taken into

custody and examined by two or

more Magistrates. If, after listening

to testimony, the Magistrate

believes that the accused person is

probably guilty, the accused is sent

to jail for possible reexamination

and to await trial.

The Accusation Process

• The case is presented to the Grand

Jury. Depositions relating to the guilt or

innocence of the accused are entered into

evidence.

The Accusation Process

• If the accused is indicted by the Grand Jury,

he or she is tried before the Court of Oyer and

Terminer. A jury, instructed by the Court,

decides the defendant's guilt.

The Accusation Process

• The convicted defendant receives his or her

sentence from the Court. In each case at

Salem, the convicted defendant was

sentenced to be hanged on a specified date.

The Accusation Process

• The Sheriff and his deputies carry out the

sentence of death on the specified date.

If you were accused…

Flee Salem!

If you were accused…

Accuse someone else

If you were accused…

Get pregnant

If you were accused…

Confess, even though you’re

innocent

If you were accused…

Plead innocence and await trial

If you were accused…

Refuse to stand trial and await the

consequences

THERE IS A

WITCH

AMONGST US!

Traits of modern witch…

• Listening to tiny people play music

• Watching people move in a magic box

• Wearing open toed shoes

• Having vast amounts of information

available instantly

• Standing on water

• Moving great distances in short periods of

time

Traits of modern witch…

There is a witch amongst us…

One of you is a witch!

A modern witch…

• Can’t sit still

• Likes to sing

• Makes animal noises

• Imitates other witches

AHHHHH!!!