In history, the dark era of witch trials represents one of humanity's most horrifying chapters. From the 15th to the 18th century, individuals, primarily women, were accused of witchcraft and subjected to brutal trials in Europe and colonial America. These trials resulted in countless wrongful convictions and the execution of innocent lives. Today, it is essential to pay tribute to the victims of these witch trials and remember the enormous suffering they endured. The witch trials were fueled by deeply-rooted superstitions, religious zeal, and societal fears. Suspicions of witchcraft often arose in times of social unrest or natural disasters, making vulnerable individuals easy targets for accusations.
This quiet and peaceful memorial, located in the very center of Salem, provides a place for people to pay their respects, to reflect on tolerance and understanding, and to remember the inspiring stories of personal courage revealed in 1692.
The tercentenary of the Salem Witch Trials provided a fitting occasion to create an enduring tribute to the victims of the trials and a reminder that among all people and nations a spirit of tolerance and understanding should prevail. One of the panels features an excerpt from her letter, dated September 16th, 1692, and reads, I petition to your honors not for my own life, for I know I must die and my appointed time is set.
Suspicions of witchcraft often arose in times of social unrest or natural disasters, making vulnerable individuals easy targets for accusations. Innocent people, typically women, were accused based on rumors, personal grudges, or simply because they did not conform to societal norms. During the trials, suspects were subjected to various forms of torture to force confessions, including sleep deprivation, starvation, and physical abuse.
New Salem Witch Trials exhibit focuses on victims' stories
Diego Lopez is the senior radio producer for GBH’s All Things Considered. Previously, he worked as a media producer at MIT's Open Learning Department and as the production coordinator for The World. Diego graduated from Suffolk University with a degree in International Relations.
Arun Rath is the host of GBH News' All Things Considered. September 29, 2023 Updated October 02, 2023 Corrected: October 02, 2023 This story was updated to correct the date of Tituba's preliminary examination.Witches are a big deal in Salem's modern culture.
The city's association with witchcraft has been capitalized on from films like 1993's "Hocus Pocus" to the annual Halloween festivities that draw in nearly a million visitors throughout the month of October.
But something often left out of conversations about the 17th century Salem Witch Trials is that the victims were real people who, along with their families, suffered a great injustice at the hands of their community.
A new exhibition at Salem's Peabody Essex Museum is recontextualizing the witch trials from a human perspective: "The Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice".
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The exhibition, which runs through November 26th, centers on the stories of the more than two dozen victims and features a rare collection of objects tied to the very real people behind the events.
When entering the exhibition, visitors are immediately confronted with the solemn atmosphere of a darker, quieter room. Paula Richter, one of the exhibition's co-curators, says that was an intentional choice to bring visitors closer to the time period.
“Here in the entry, we have a 17th century door, and we don't know what house it came from, but we're using it as an entry point into the world of 17th century Salem. It's ajar and we hope people get the sense of wanting to look beyond it,” she said.
Beyond the old door, visitors encounter dozens of enlarged reproductions of original court documents and letters pertaining to the trials. When you read them, you see the handwriting and, in a way, hear the voices of victims, defenders and persecutors in the trials.
Dan Lipcan, another co-curator of the exhibition and director of the museum’s Phillips Library, explained how one of the documents connects to Tituba, an enslaved woman who was among the first to be accused.
Not much is known about Tituba, other than the facts that she hailed from what is now Venezuela and was enslaved by the Rev. Samuel Parris.
But she is remembered for her testimony on March 1, 1692, which Lipcan said "really kicked the trials into high gear."
“She claimed that there were more witches," he said. "This was really alarming to the people in the community who thought a full blown crisis was at hand and she was very believable because of her indigenous origins.”
Eventually, Tituba was released from prison back into slavery and disappeared from the historical record. Tituba's story reflects many of the injustices that commonly occurred in colonial Salem against women and people of color.
"330 years later, we're still dealing with the aftermath of this crisis."Dan Lipcan
Among the panels showcasing the victims’ stories is a grouping about the Towne sisters, one of the families most impacted by the trials. The three married and middle-aged sisters, Rebecca Towne Nurse, Mary Towne Eastey and Sarah Towne Cloyce, were all accused of witchcraft. Rebecca and Mary would later be executed.
Before her death, Mary Towne Eastey left an impassioned plea to stop the trials and advocated for the other accused. One of the panels features an excerpt from her letter, dated September 16th, 1692, and reads, "I petition to your honors not for my own life, for I know I must die and my appointed time is set. But if it be possible, no more innocent blood may be shed.”
Lipcan explained that those who came to a victim's defense did so at great personal risk.
“This crisis split families," he said. "We have instances, like Elizabeth Howe, where some of her family supported her and tried to defend her, and some of her family didn't want anything to do with her.”
The risk of persecution was a pervasive fear during the Salem Witch Trials. Even some of the city's wealthiest and most influential families suffered as a result of the panic, like Mary and Philip English. The couple was likely the wealthiest family in Salem when the trials took place, but both Mary and Philip were accused of witchcraft and later imprisoned.
Evidence of the English family’s wealth can be seen through their personal artifacts at the exhibit. As visitors approach the panel about them, one of the first things they see is a beautiful and intricate embroidery sampler.
“I think its [the embroidery] primary importance is really as a demonstration that Mary Halingworth English had probably the best education available to a woman living in Salem,” says Richter. “It's a British-style sampler, which were very long and narrow in the 17th century, and it has bands of flowers and vines and it's really quite garden-like. So, there were strawberries and some of the flowers are actually identifiable.”
Courtesy of Kristen Levesque
While Mary and Philip English would go on to survive the witch trials by escaping to New York, Richter explained that their story highlights another pervasive injustice that victims of the witch trials faced: the seizure of personal property.
“He [Philip English] spent much of the rest of his life trying to recover all of their property," Richter said. "Their personal property was seized and he did recover a tiny fraction of it, but he lost significant personal property as a direct result of the witch trials.”
Visitors see stories of both victims and accusers told alongside more personal artifacts including furniture, canes, chests and even massive, 300-pound wooden planks from colonial Salem's jail — an impressive archeological find made in the 1950s.
Near the end, the exhibition shifts attention to restorative justice through the centuries, and how the community has attempted to provide some sense of justice for the victims. Some of these efforts came less than 20 years later, with some 22 convictions overturned in 1711.
Lipcan explained the timeline of restorative justice in detail.
“In the aftermath of the crisis, many victims and victims' families began to petition the court in the state for reparations or exoneration," he said. "The descendants of Rebecca Nurse put up a memorial to her in 1885. There were other rounds of exonerations in 1957 and 2001 as victims were identified as not having been exonerated, and this goes up until last October [2022]. So, 330 years later, we're still dealing with the aftermath of this crisis, and it took Salem 300 years to build a memorial to the victims in town."
"The Salem Witch Trials: Restoring Justice" is open now through November 26th at Salem's Peabody Essex Museum.
Diego Lopez is the senior radio producer for GBH’s All Things Considered. Previously, he worked as a media producer at MIT's Open Learning Department and as the production coordinator for The World. Diego graduated from Suffolk University with a degree in International Relations.
Interested in learning more about the Salem Witch Trials Memorial?
The accused were made to endure inhumane methods such as water dunking, where they were repeatedly submerged in water to test their guilt or innocence. These trials were often characterized by biased judges and an absence of due process, leading to countless wrongful convictions. Notwithstanding the lack of evidence and the glaring injustice, the accused were often sentenced to death. Burning at the stake was a common method of execution, symbolizing a purging of evil. The victims of witch trials faced not only physical torture but also societal shunning and permanent damage to their reputations. Families were torn apart, and communities lived in fear. Paying tribute to the victims of witch trials is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it serves as a reminder of the atrocities human beings are capable of committing when driven by fear and ignorance. It emphasizes the importance of critical thinking, fairness, and the rule of law in society. Secondly, it acknowledges the suffering and injustice endured by these individuals and restores their dignity. Remembering their names and stories ensures that their lives were not in vain. Furthermore, recognizing the victims of witch trials allows for reflection on the progress made in society. It highlights the importance of equal rights, justice, and the fight against discrimination. The lessons learned from this dark period can be applied to contemporary struggles for justice and human rights. In conclusion, the victims of witch trials deserve to be honored and remembered for the injustices they endured. It is vital to learn from history and use it as a guide for creating a fairer and more inclusive society. By paying tribute to these victims, we can ensure that their stories are never forgotten and work towards a future free from persecution and discrimination..
Reviews for "Seeking Redemption: Remembering the Lives Taken in Witch Hunts"
- Lisa - 2 stars - I was really disappointed by "Tribute to victims of witch trials". The performance seemed like a haphazard collection of disjointed scenes that failed to convey any meaningful message. The choreography felt repetitive and unimaginative, and the dancers lacked the precision and technique necessary to execute it. The choice of music was also questionable, often distracting from the supposed gravity of the subject matter. Overall, it was a lackluster attempt at storytelling that left me feeling unsatisfied and unengaged.
- John - 1 star - I regret attending "Tribute to victims of witch trials". The entire performance was a confusing mess. It was difficult to follow the narrative, if there was one at all. The lighting design was poorly executed, often leaving the stage too dark to see what was happening. The costumes were tacky and lacked any sense of cohesion. I left the theater feeling frustrated and bewildered, wondering how such a production could receive any positive reviews at all.
- Emma - 2 stars - "Tribute to victims of witch trials" left me unimpressed. The choreography lacked originality and failed to evoke any emotional response. The performers seemed dispassionate and disconnected from the material, which made it difficult to establish a connection with the audience. The set design was minimal and uninspiring, adding little to the overall atmosphere. It felt like a missed opportunity to explore such a rich and powerful subject matter. Overall, it was a forgettable performance that I wouldn't recommend.