Salem Witch Trials

A witch is defined as “one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; especially : a woman practicing usually black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil or familiar.” (Marriam-Webster) These women are also commonly referred to as a sorceress or warlocks. The Salem Witch Trials were a massive amount of accusations and time of fear for the residents of Salem Village in 1692.

The Salem Witch Trials were a dark and confusing time for Europe. The trials were a series of accusations claiming that people were witches. The claims seemed to be geared mainly at women of lower class, with a few men in the mix. The accusations began when a young girl Betty Parris

became ill. She had experienced fever, seizures, screaming, and contortions. The girls proceeded to accuse Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osburn, claiming that these women were bewitching them. Tituba’s confession led to hysteria in Salem that the Devil was loose.

Here are parts of Tituba’s confession:

“Tituba: the Devill for ought I know

w't appearanc or how dothe he appeare when the hurts them, w'th w't shape or what is he like that hurts them

Tituba: like a man I think yesterday I being in the Lentoe Chamber I saw a thing like a man, that tould me Searve him & I tould him noe I would nott doe Such thing. [Recorder's note: she charges Goody Osborne & Sarah Good as those that hurt the Children, and would have had hir done itt, she sayth she Seen foure two of w'ch she knew nott she saw them last night as she was washing the Roome] thay tould me hurt the Children & would have had me if I woud nott goe & hurt them they would doe soe to mee att first I did agree w'th them butt afterward I tould them I doe soe noe more.” (http://famous-trials.com/salem/2050-asa-titx)

These words scared many villagers, but also silenced skeptics. Many others were accused, as many as hundreds, but 19 were either hung or tortured.

There are two major theories that evolved as time went on. One theory being, the girls were getting into a form of hallucinogenic that was causing all their symptoms and things they were seeing. The other theory being that the people accusing were gaining personally from doing so.

The first theory, the girls were hallucinating. “The symptoms also could have been caused, as Linda Caporael argued in a 1976 article in Science magazine, by a disease called "convulsive ergotism" brought on by ingesting rye--eaten as a cereal and as a common ingredient of bread--infected with ergot. (Ergot is caused by a fungus which invades developing kernels of rye grain, especially under warm and damp conditions such as existed at the time of the previous rye harvest in Salem. Convulsive ergotism causes violent fits, a crawling sensation on the skin, vomiting, choking, and--most interestingly--hallucinations. The hallucinogenic drug LSD is a derivative of ergot.)” (: http://famous-trials.com/salem/2078-sal-acct) The only issue that lies within these explanations is that this phenomenon does not match or explain symptoms of those who were accused later.

The second theory being personal gain. Most of the accusers were either ministers or doctors, possibly with the hopes of receiving something. Doctors would claim that they could cure spells that were casted on people, so that would boost their businesses. Ministers accusing were able to gain followers and respect around town.

Even with the confessions of Tituba, do we believe that all people executed were witches? How does one prove to not be a witch? Leave any feelings or comments below.

Interactive Salem Witch Experience: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/interactive/salem-interactive/

Primary Sources and Court Statements from those involved and/or executed: http://famous-trials.com/salem/2078-sal-acct

Bianca Asheim