Oh, October is such a lovely month, in my personal opinion! I mean, everything about it is so aesthetically pleasing. The weather, the leaves on trees changing colors, the pumpkin-flavored pastries. But also, my favorite holiday of all time, Halloween! I mean, c’mon, free candy? Who could pass up an offer like that? The costumes are also to die for! Zombies, Vampires, Witches… Now, speaking of witches, there was actually a point in history where a majority of people thought that people did commit forms of witchcraft called “The Salem Witch Trials.” Since Halloween is just around the corner, I think it’s safe for me to say that this is a proper event to get you in the Halloween spirit!
What were the Salem Witch Trials?
The Salem Witch Trials took place in spring during the late 1600s in Salem, Massachusetts. A majority of young girls claimed that they were being possessed by the Devil, while shortly after also accusing other local women in Salem of committing witchcraft. This situation quickly began to spread around colonial Massachusetts, creating a special court to emerge to hear the cases of all the ‘possessions’ and ‘witchcraft’ going on. This led to a majority of these young women being hanged later in June, while the accusations of not just women but also men and children began to spread several months after the hangings of the previous women.
What caused the Salem Witch Trials?
There had already been a widespread in colonial New England about witches and witchcraft that conjured up as early as the 14th century. But, in addition to all the talk of Witches within Salem, they had also been dealing with the effects of a British war, sicknesses such as smallpox, and the fear of being attacked by neighboring Native Americans that had added to the tension surrounding the town. In the middle of January, in the late 1600s, two young girls who were cousins by the names of Elizabeth and Abigail Paris began throwing tantrums, having random outbursts, and even committing violent contortions. A local Doctor in Salem by the name of William Griggs had diagnosed the two young girls with bewitchment; a majority of other young girls within the community began to have the same type of outbursts Elizabeth and Abigail had been dealing with. Later in February, arrest warrants had been sent out to catch people that the girls accused of bewitching them.
How the Chaos Began to Spread
There were three main women who the girls accused of bewitching them. There was Tituba, who was Elizabeth’s father’s slave. Sarah Good, a homeless beggar. Finally, Goody Osburn is a poor and elderly woman. While testifying in the Courtroom, Goody Osburn and Sarah Good denied their guilt, but unlike the two of them, Tituba had confessed. Fun fact: those who confessed to committing crimes such as witchcraft wouldn’t face as severe a punishment as they would if they hadn’t, since confessing “saves your soul” in a sense. Tituba also claimed that there were other women who had acted by her side while committing witchcraft. News of this case began to spread throughout the community of Massachusetts while also putting the blame on another woman who could’ve very well been innocent. Due to the overwhelming amount of witchy business in Salm being dealt with by the justice system, a man named William Phips established a special type of court to decide on witchcraft cases for certain parts of Massachusetts. The court dealt with its first conviction in early June with the girl named Bridget Bishop. She was hanged eight days later, followed by five other women to be hung not so shortly after her.
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To me, this whole situation is more sad than scary. I mean, all these young women who could’ve possibly been innocent being hung for maybe nothing? Poor them. Speaking of the names I’ve said while talking about the Salem Witch Trials, there’s actually a written musical whose whole plot is centered around the Salem Witch trials called “The Crucible,” written by Arthur Miller. It’s a very interesting read, and I highly recommend it. Well, that sums up everything I have to say! If you find yourself trick-or-treating this year and don’t have a costume in mind, maybe dressing up as a witch should be one of your options!
