Madness and Witchcraft: Delving into the Dark Depths of the Salem Witch Trials

The dark history of the Salem Witch Trials traces back to the year 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. This infamous event reflects a time when mass hysteria prevailed, leading to the trial and execution of numerous innocent people. The roots of the Salem Witch Trials can be found in the deeply religious and superstitious beliefs of the Puritans who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. These settlers believed in witchcraft and firmly held the belief that Satan could infiltrate their community. As a result, any unusual or unexplained behavior was seen as evidence of witchcraft. The events unfolded when a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the Devil and accused several people of practicing witchcraft.

“I want to be careful about drawing too-easy parallels to the present day,” Brown says, but for her a more contemporary reference was the QAnon conspiracy and the false accusations directed at Hillary Rodham Clinton and her inner circle. Brown says, “there’s no way to corroborate it, and there’s no way to completely debunk it in the minds of the accusers.”

At the very end of the accusations, when Governor Phips of Massachusetts calls a halt to the whole thing, it s because they ve accused the governor s wife, Brown says. Several of the women were servants and nieces, who may have experienced heightened anxiety about dim marital prospects due to lack of money and family connections.

The events unfolded when a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by the Devil and accused several people of practicing witchcraft. The accusations led to widespread panic and fear as neighbors turned against one another, accusing one another of being witches. The trials that followed were a complete mockery of justice, with minimal evidence and confessions extracted through various means of coercion.

The Salem Witch Trials of 1692

The Salem witch trials are a defining example of intolerance and injustice in American history. The extraordinary series of events in 1692 led to the deaths of 25 innocent women, men and children. The crisis in Salem, Massachusetts took place partly because the community lived under an ominous cloud of suspicion. A remarkable set of conflicts and tensions converged, sparking fear and setting the stage for the most widespread and lethal outbreak of witchcraft accusations on this continent.

Centuries after this storied crisis, the personal tragedies and grievous wrongs of the Salem Witch Trials continue to provoke reflection, reckoning and a search for meaning. Today, the City of Salem attracts more than one million tourists per year, many of whom are seeking to learn more about these events. The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) holds one of the world’s most important collections of objects and architecture related to the Salem Witch Trials. From 1980 to 2023, PEM’s Phillips Library was the temporary repository of the state’s Supreme Judicial Court collection of Witch Trial documents. These legal records, which were returned to the Judicial Archives following the expansion and modernization of the Massachusetts State Archives facility, are available to researchers around the world on our website here thanks to a comprehensive digitization project undertaken by the museum. Through exhibitions, research, publishing and public programming, PEM is committed to telling the story of the Salem Witch Trials in ways that honor the victims and amplify the teachings of wrongful persecution that remain relevant to today.

The Salem Witch Trials Walk

This self-guided audio tour takes you inside the galleries and outside the museum to learn more about the infamous events of 1692. PEM curators and experts share a behind-the-scenes perspective of some of the most compelling stories in Salem in this 1 hour tour. Included with admission.

History and Origins of the Salem Witch Trials

English colonial settlers arrived in 1626 at Naumkeag, a traditional Native American fishing site, to establish a Massachusetts Bay Colony outpost. Most were Puritans who sought to purify the Church of England from Roman Catholic religious practices and build a utopian society. The settlers renamed the place Salem, after Jerusalem, the “city of peace.”

Over successive decades, waves of colonists arrived, changing the power dynamics in governance, land ownership and religion. By the 1670s, tensions between rural Salem Village (now Danvers) and the prosperous Salem Town flared. Contentions multiplied when Salem Village formed its own church and appointed a controversial minister. Changes to the colony’s charter and leadership, skirmishes with French colonists and their Indigenous allies, a smallpox epidemic, and extreme weather heightened concerns.

In January 1692, young girls in Salem Village reported that unseen agents or forces afflicted them. The minister suspected witchcraft. In the 17th century, a witch was understood as a person who agreed to serve the devil in opposition to the Christian church. On February 29, four men and four girls traveled to Salem Town to make complaints against three women. The next day interrogations began.

Notable Figures of the Witch Trials: The Accused and the Accusers

Learn more about the individuals who were involved in the Salem witch trials, both the accused and the accusers.

Historical research reveals a picture of Bridget Bishop (1632–1692) as a witty and independent, though quarrelsome, resident of Salem. Widowed twice, she was married to sawyer Edward Bishop. Attorney General Thomas Newton decided to put Bishop on trial first, perhaps looking for a strong case to set the tone for subsequent hearings. Accused and acquitted of witchcraft 12 years earlier, she may have been an easy target by association. Multiple accusers claimed Bishop’s specter was responsible for damages and afflictions. Their testimonies were the result of longstanding suspicions or misattributed gossip about Sarah Bishop—a different person entirely. No witchcraft allegedly perpetrated by Bishop was ever proven by the required testimony of two witnesses. Instead, the court relied on the spectral evidence claimed by the accusers, the only ones who could “see” the invisible world of demons. Tragically, this injustice against Bishop set the pattern for the remainder of the trials.

What little is known about Tituba is through her involvement in the witch trials. Documents refer to her as “Indian,” but it is likely that she was from an Indigenous community in the Caribbean, Florida, or South America. Reverend Samuel Parris enslaved Tituba and brought her to Boston and then Salem Village when he returned north from Barbados in 1680. Betty Parris, Parris’s daughter, and her cousin Abigail Williams identified Tituba as the perpetrator of their January and February afflictions, the first accusations of 1692. Tituba’s testimonies on March 1–2 confirmed for locals that a witchcraft conspiracy existed. In addition to confessing — undoubtedly under pressure — she accused Sarah Osburn and Sarah Good and said there were seven more witches, quickly widening the scope of the crisis. The court left Tituba to languish in prison until May 1693 when a grand jury rejected the charges brought against her. Shortly after, an enslaver, whose name is not known, paid her jail debts and released her to their ownership. The remainder of her life is a mystery.

George Jacobs Sr. (1620–1692) was born in London and was living in the Salem colony by 1649. As a country farmer suffering from arthritis, he used two canes to walk. He did not attend church regularly and had a reputation for a violent temper and defiant spirit. These facts — along with his son’s friendship with the Porter family, enemies of the powerful Putnam family —made Jacobs an easy target for early accusers. His granddaughter Margaret, who confessed to the charge of witchcraft, accused him. Then Mercy Lewis, a servant of Thomas Putnam, testified that Jacobs “did torture me and beat me with a stick which he had in his hand . . . coming sometimes with two sticks in his hands to afflict me.” His son and wife also contributed. In August, the court sentenced him to death.

Rebecca Nurse (about 1621–1692), Mary Esty (born about 1634–1692), and Sarah Cloyce (about 1641–1703) were sisters from the Towne family of Topsfield, Massachusetts. All three women were married with large extended families. Elderly Rebecca, a respected member of the church, was nearly deaf, which may have prevented her from defending herself fully in court. Dozens petitioned the court on her behalf. At first, the jury returned a not guilty verdict, but the judges asked them to reconsider. In a dramatic reversal, Rebecca was found guilty, condemned, and hanged. Mary put before the court two of the most eloquent, heartfelt petitions of the entire episode. The documents called for fair trials, exposed the flaws of the existing court, and proposed methods of getting to the truth behind the accusations. But they did not help her avoid execution. It is unknown how Sarah escaped the fate of her sisters. After months in prison, she was cleared. Sarah, her husband, and many members of the extended Towne family were among the first English settlers of Framingham.

Giles and Martha Corey: Both faced accusations by multiple people. In March, Giles testified against Martha claiming that she bewitched him and his farm animals. In September, when Giles refused to participate in his own trial, the court ordered him to be pressed under stones in order to extract a plea. He remained silent and died under the weight in the only death by pressing in Massachusetts history. Martha and seven other victims were hanged days later.

The Putnams, a well-established Puritan family, owned much of the land in Salem Village and supported the Reverend Samuel Parris. They were deeply involved in the witchcraft hunt, accusing and testifying against many community and extended family members.

Jonathan Corwin (1640–1718) was a merchant and political figure who held various positions, including serving as magistrate during the 1692 pre-trial examinations. Corwin lived in the house now known as the Witch House on the corner of Essex and Summer streets. Corwin remained on the bench until October 1692 when the governor officially disbanded the court of oyer and terminer. We do not know much about how Corwin felt about the trials because he spoke little during the examinations and never made any public statements. He never apologized for his role in the trials. His brother-in-law magistrate John Hathorne served as magistrate and one of Corwin’s children was listed as afflicted in Tituba’s examination in March. His mother-in-law Margaret Thacher was accused of witchcraft, but the charges against her were ignored and no arrest warrant was issued.

Born in England, Samuel Sewall (1652–1730) and his family emigrated to Newbury, Massachusetts, in the 1660s. A Harvard graduate, Sewall initially trained to become a clergyman. He later pursued a career in business, politics, and public service after marrying the daughter of a wealthy Boston merchant. His wife’s first cousin was the Reverend Samuel Parris. He derived significant income from real estate holdings in New England. Sewall was one of nine judges appointed by Governor William Phips to serve on the court in Salem to “hear and determine” accusations of witchcraft. These judges were respected, educated, and affluent members of the community, but none had formal legal training. While fulfilling his role as judge, Sewall took part in proceedings that sent 19 innocent persons to their deaths. In the aftermath of the trials, Sewall’s troubled conscience led to a change of heart and, in January 1697, he made a public confession of guilt, remorse, and repentance for the part he played in the trials and apologized for his role in the proceedings. For the rest of his life, Sewall observed a day of fasting as evidence of ongoing contrition. Sewall continued his judicial career for many years culminating in 1718 with his appointment as Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature. Sewall is also remembered for publishing the first anti-slavery tract in America in 1700.

The afflicted girls begin by accusing people with marginal social status, most notably Tituba, who confessed under torture. They strike out at women that represent failure in the eyes of the community, Brown says, including Sarah Good, who was reliant on charity after her father, a prosperous tavern owner, committed suicide, leaving no will.

Unfortunately, the accused witches had no fair trial; instead, they faced a biased court that relied heavily on spectral evidence, which was essentially the testimony of the supposed victims' visions and dreams. As a result, twenty people were executed, and many others were imprisoned or had their lives ruined. The Salem Witch Trials are a chilling reminder of how fear, superstition, and mass hysteria can lead to a miscarriage of justice. It serves as a harrowing cautionary tale about the dangers of scapegoating and unchecked power. The aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials was a period of shame and regret for the community. The court eventually recognized the errors made and officially apologized to the victims' families. The trials were seen as a dark stain on the history of Salem and the entire region. In conclusion, the dark history of the Salem Witch Trials uncovers the depths of human hysteria and the consequences of blind belief. This chapter in history reminds us of the importance of fairness, justice, and skepticism in the face of fear and ignorance. It stands as a stark reminder of the dangers of allowing rumors and unsubstantiated accusations to determine the fate of innocent lives..

Reviews for "The Salem Witch Trials: A Terrifying Tale of Accusations and Panic"

1. Emily - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Dark history of Salem Witch Trials". The book felt like it was trying to sensationalize a dark part of history rather than provide a balanced and detailed account. The author seemed more interested in creating a thrilling narrative than in presenting accurate information. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for an in-depth exploration of the Salem Witch Trials.

2. Mike - 2/5 stars - This book was a letdown. I was expecting a comprehensive analysis of the Salem Witch Trials, but instead, I got a shallow and overly dramatized account. The author seemed to focus more on gory details and shocking anecdotes rather than providing a nuanced understanding of the historical context. If you're looking for a serious and well-researched book about the Salem Witch Trials, I suggest looking elsewhere.

3. Rebecca - 1/5 stars - I found "Dark history of Salem Witch Trials" to be highly misleading. The title made it seem like it would offer new insights into the trials, but it was just a rehashing of well-known information in a sensationalized manner. The writing style was also difficult to follow, with constant shifts in perspective and unnecessary digressions. I regret spending my money on this book and would advise others to avoid it.

4. Thomas - 2/5 stars - As someone who is deeply interested in history, I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The author seemed more focused on embellishing the story and adding unnecessary suspense rather than providing a comprehensive and unbiased account of the Salem Witch Trials. This book missed the mark for me, and I would not recommend it to fellow history enthusiasts.

5. Sarah - 2/5 stars - The title of this book, "Dark history of Salem Witch Trials", made it seem like it would provide a well-researched and informative account of this infamous event. However, I was left disappointed. The writing was sensationalized and lacked depth. Instead of presenting a balanced perspective, the author seemed to favor certain sensational theories. This book did not provide the insightful analysis I had hoped for and I was left feeling unsatisfied.

Flames of Fear: Uncovering the Dark Secrets of the Salem Witch Trials