The People Of The Salem Witch Trials
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 took place in Salem village, Massachusetts after a group of young girls made accusations of witchcraft amongst its community. It was a period of mass hysteria, fear and injustice, which lead to the execution of nineteen women and one man, and a further 150 people accused of witchcraft. Following later regret by the public and the court judges, a day of fasting was declared and the reputations of the innocent were eventually restored. This article looks at the stories from some of the people involved in the trials.
Tituba – Accused
Tituba was an enslaved women of the house of Reverend Samuel Parris, Salem’s Puritan minister and was the first to be accused of witchcraft during the trials. In 1692, Samuel’s daughter Betty and his niece Abigail became ill and suspicions of witchcraft against the minister’s family began to circulate. Tituba was accused by the children of witchcraft and although initially pleaded innocent, confessed under duress to consorting with the devil. Her confession was a pivotal moment in the unfolding hysteria of the trials.
Ann Carr Putnam Jr. – Accuser
The core group of accusers during the Salem witch trials were women and included Ann Putnam, Betty Parris, Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Hubbard. Ann was the 12 year old daughter of Thomas and Ann Putnam and became one of the most prolific accusers of the Salem witch trials, naming more than 60 people. To support her accusations, she carried out acts of fitting and contorting, blaming members of the community for using witchcraft against her. Initially the accused were outsiders or non-church goers, but eventually became upstanding members of the community, such as Rebecca Nurse. Ann was the only one of the accusers to apologise after the trials had taken place and later begged for forgiveness for her actions.
William Stoughton – Judge At The Salem Witch Trials
William was a church pastor and the first chief justice who presided over the trials and execution of the twenty accused. He had no official legal training and allowed a multitude of unethical practices to take place in the courtroom, including forbidding defence councils, allowing conversations between judges and the accusers and admitting spectral evidence. His actions meant the defendants had very little chance of pleading their innocence and led to a severe miscarriage of justice. He remained unrepentant even after the trials had finished and later went on to become a political governor.
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Gavin Crewe is a regular contributor of informative articles to Oxford Home Schooling.
