Overview
The lecture covers the origins, events, and aftermath of the Salem witch trials of 1692, highlighting their causes, practices, and consequences.
Origins and Causes
- The Salem witch trials began in spring 1692 after two girls accused women of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
- Fear, paranoia, and hysteria rapidly grew, fueled by community anxieties and recent smallpox outbreaks.
- Theories suggest causes included social tensions, mass hysteria, and possible ergot poisoning (a fungus on rye causing hallucinations).
Accusations and Trials
- Trials often lacked real evidence, relying mostly on accusations and baseless testimonies.
- Accusations began with Abigail Williams and Betty Parris, whose reported fits sparked further allegations.
- Over 200 people were accused, with 140–150 arrested; accusations sometimes served personal vendettas or social rivalry.
- The Witchcraft Act of 1542 (UK law) made witchcraft punishable by death.
Methods of Identifying Witches
- "Swimming Test": suspects tied and lowered into water; floating meant guilt, sinking meant innocence.
- "Witch Cakes": cakes made from rye and urine fed to dogs; dog's reaction used as “evidence.”
- "Touch Test": accused touched those having fits; if fits stopped, accused seen as guilty.
- "Devil’s Mark": birthmarks or lesions considered evidence of a pact with the devil.
- Spectral evidence: claims of spirits or “ghost” attacks accepted as proof.
Punishments and Outcomes
- Those who confessed often avoided execution, while those who denied guilt faced death.
- Execution methods included hanging (19 people) and pressing-to-death (Giles Corey); four died in jail.
- Authorities confiscated land and property from the accused.
- Even animals, such as dogs, were executed if suspected of being linked to witchcraft.
- Jail conditions were crowded and inhumane; accused were often isolated and underfed.
The End of the Trials
- The trials ended when the governor’s wife was accused, prompting immediate intervention.
- Hundreds of accused were eventually pardoned, acquitted, or escaped arrest.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Mass Hysteria — Collective delusions and fear spreading through a community with no factual basis.
- Spectral Evidence — Testimony claiming that a spirit or ghost of the accused harmed others.
- Witchcraft Act — 1542 UK law making witchcraft punishable by death.
- Devil’s Mark — Any unexplained mark or lesion used as supposed evidence of witchcraft.
- Ergot Poisoning — Illness from a fungus on rye causing hallucinations and spasms.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review theories and evidence used in the trials for upcoming discussion.
- Read more about other witch trials in colonial America and Europe.