The Salem witch trials, which took place in 1692-1693 in colonial Massachusetts, were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft. During this dark period of American history, 20 individuals were executed for their alleged involvement in witchcraft, while several others died in jail awaiting trial. The victims of the Salem witch trials came from a variety of backgrounds and ages, including men, women, and even children. Their names serve as a grim reminder of the hysteria and injustice that swept through the Salem Village. Some of the most well-known victims include: 1. Bridget Bishop 2.
Descendants of Salem Witch Trial victims try to clear names of wrongly accused women
Four centuries on from a series of major injustices, the descendants of victims involved in the Salem Witch Trials hope to clear their name.
The trials in Colonial Massachusetts saw women accused of being witches, a product of the unfounded superstitions of the time that included fervent religion and endemic misogyny. Men and children also became victims by mere association.
Around 25 people, mostly women, were sentenced to death and killed over the course of 1692 to 1693 alone and years of suspicion, accusation and deaths preceded the horrific flurry of unjust sentences. The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project is made up of descendants of victims, along with history buffs, and hopes to take a petition to the Statehouse.
The group's leader, Josh Hutchinson said it is "It’s important that we correct the injustices of the past" and that "We’d like an apology for all of the accused or indicted or arrested." Hundreds of individuals were accused of witchcraft in what would become the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between 1638 and 1693.
The Peabody Essex Museum described the trials as the "defining example of intolerance and injustice in American history," but there is perhaps less than what is deserved in remembrance of the victims today. Among those forgotten are five women hanged for witchcraft in Boston between 1648 and 1688.
So what were the trials and who were the people accused?
Salem victims
Among the victims was Martha Corey, hanged in 1692 after being accused of being a witch. Her husband defended her and was also put to death.
Her story was similar to many others, including that of Ann Hibbins, sister-in-law to Massachusetts Gov. Richard Bellingham. She was executed in 1656, as was Goodwife Ann Glover, hanged in Boston in 1688.
Glover's death is one case that is remembered with a plaque, that lies on a Catholic Church in Boston's North End neighborhood.
The fun of Halloween centers of Salem, but it gained notoriety for its brutal treatment of 'witches' (
Image:In one particular case, the Towne sisters from Topsfield, Massachusetts, were hanged in 1692. Rebecca Nurse - the sisters' maiden name was Towne - was nearly deaf and this may have prevented her from being able to defend herself properly in court. The jury returned a not guilty verdict on Rebecca, but the judges asked them to reverse it - sister Mary was also put to death, while the final sibling Sarah was inexplicably released.
The death of Bridget Bishop also shows the power of the unfounded suspicion of the time. The Peabody Essex Museum said "multiple accusers claimed Bishop’s specter was responsible for damages and afflictions" and that "testimonies were the result of longstanding suspicions or misattributed gossip about Sarah Bishop," a different person added.
Justice
Descendants of Massachusetts' accused continue to try and work to make sure every victim is exonerated. The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project already successfully spearheaded a similar effort in Connecticut.
The state is the home of the first person executed for witchcraft in the American colonies in 1647 - Alse Young. The last witchcraft trial in Connecticut happened in 1697 and ended with the charges being dismissed.
In May, Connecticut state senators in May voted by 34-1 to absolve 12 women and men convicted of witchcraft - 11 of whom were executed - more than 370 years ago and apologize for the "miscarriage of justice" that occurred over a dark 15-year-period of the state’s colonial history.
Chief genealogist for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, David Allen Lambert, said: "We can’t change history but maybe we can send the accused an apology. It kind of closes the chapter in a way." His 10th great-grandmother, Mary Perkins Bradbury, was among the accused who was supposed to be hanged in 1692 in Salem but escaped execution.
Salem Witch Trial Victims
Reflection: Looking out the window at Rebecca Nurse's home, one of the Salem Witch Trial victims. I wonder how many times she & her family did the same during the harrowing Witchcraft Hysteria that took her life.
‘Amen, Amen. A false tongue will never make a guilty person.’
– Susannah Martin, hanged July 19th, 1692
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- By Terri Wheat
- September 26, 2019
The hangings were not an easy, quick affair. There were no calculations of how long the rope, no breaking of the neck for a quick, merciful death. Instead, hands & legs bound, the victims strangled & writhed at the end of a rope. Convicted of witchcraft, the victims were denied a Christian burial and thrown into the rock crevices near the execution site. The families were said to have returned at night to retrieve their loved ones bodies from the pile, and buried them, unmarked, near home. Two are buried at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in nearby Danvers. The rest of the bodies of the Salem Witch Trial victims remain unfound.
This page honors, foremost, those who died, but Salem’s Witch Trials had many more victims than the 25 who lost their life. Over 200 stood accused, loved ones ripped away to a dungeon-like jail coated with filth & lice. Packed in, men, women & children alike, with no bathrooms, no changing rooms, no hint of privacy. Sometimes the small cells & flood of accused left standing room only, until they spilled over into jails of nearby towns. Cells of stone & dirt, stifling in summer, freezing in winter bred sickness & misery. Humiliated, practically starved, sometimes tortured to reveal ‘the truth’. Over 40 of the accused ‘confessed’, a desperate attempt to save their lives. Their families, struggling with loss and one less working adult, were forced to find the money to pay for their imprisonment. They paid for the shackles, firewood, food, straw bedding, clothing, even the fees for their loved one’s executions. One family were not given their dead mother’s body, until they could pay her jail keep. Personal property of the accused was confiscated, stolen from their struggling families at home. They took family livestock, food supplies, property, furniture, jewelry, money. (This would have only affected men and unmarried & widowed women because a married woman couldn’t own property, her husband owned everything.) The 200 jailed, mothers, children, fathers, grandparents, waited their turn for a trial or the gallows. Barely more than kept alive, with only the food, warmth & medicine their family could afford.
Children orphaned, husbands & wives widowed, families broken & wounded forever. Even for the 175 who made it back home, the trauma could not be undone. A community that suffered in shame for 300 years for things they didn’t do and couldn’t change. The victims are far beyond what we can count. All paid a high price, 25 with their life. If it looks long to read, such is the body count of the Salem Witch Hunts.
Bridget Bishop 2. Sarah Good 3. Sarah Osbourne 4.
Found Guilty & Hanged, Salem 1692:
Tituba 5. Martha Corey 6. Rebecca Nurse 7. Sarah Wildes 8. John Proctor 9. Giles Corey 10. George Burroughs These individuals faced false accusations, intense interrogations, and flawed legal proceedings that led to their tragic deaths. Many times, unsubstantiated rumors and gossip fueled the accusations, as the fear of witchcraft gripped the community. The trials were marked by hysteria, mass delusion, and an overall disregard for due process, resulting in the wrongful execution of innocent people. The Salem witch trials remain a haunting reminder of the dangers of unchecked fear, intolerance, and the power of mass hysteria. The names of the victims serve as a lasting testament to the devastating consequences of injustice and the importance of safeguarding basic human rights. May their memory remind us of the need to uphold justice and fairness in our societies, ensuring that such tragic events do not repeat themselves in the future..
Reviews for "The lives behind the numbers: Honoring the Salem witch trials victims by name"
1. Jane - 1 star - This book was a major disappointment. Firstly, the title is misleading as it is a list of names of the victims of the Salem witch trials, not an exploration of their lives or stories. Secondly, the format is incredibly dry and lacks any engaging narrative. It feels more like a boring textbook than a piece of literature. I was left wanting more context and information about each victim, but instead, it felt like I was reading a phone book. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive understanding of the Salem witch trials.
2. Mark - 2 stars - While the topic of the Salem witch trials is fascinating, this book fails to do it justice. The author simply lists the names of the victims without providing any background or context. It feels like a missed opportunity to shed light on the lives and stories of these individuals. Additionally, the organization of the book is confusing, making it difficult to follow along. I was left wanting a more in-depth exploration of the subject matter, rather than a mere name-dropping exercise. Overall, this book lacked substance and depth.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for this book, but it fell short of my expectations. The concept of compiling the names of the victims of the Salem witch trials is interesting, but the execution is lacking. The book lacks any meaningful analysis or insights into the impact of the trials on these individuals and their families. It reads more like a list than a book with a compelling narrative. I would have preferred a more comprehensive exploration of the historical and cultural context surrounding the witch trials. Disappointingly, this book left me wanting more.
4. Michael - 1 star - I found "Salem witch trials victims names" incredibly boring and uninformative. The author merely presents a list of names without offering any context or analysis. It was frustrating trying to make sense of who these people were and what happened to them. The lack of storytelling and historical context made the book feel like a missed opportunity to understand the human side of the witch trials. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone interested in delving deeper into the Salem witch trials.