A Start of the Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials began in May of 1692. The first accused witch was hung in June of 1692. A special court was invented in Salem and in multiple other places to deal with the accused witches. The Salem Witch Trials had been endured for centuries and more than 200 people would be accused of witchery. The belief in the supernatural and specifically in the devils practice of giving witches as they called them powers of a sort to do harm with. This was widespread in many places such as colonial New England. Like many other acused witches several of them had confessed to being and using witchcraft and had accused others of being apart of witchcraft.

The witch trials had over runned the justice system. Most accused were hung but some select few were stoned to death with huge rocks. The “displaced” people had created a strain on resources in Salem. Innocent and guilty alike were tortured for days on end. Most died during the gruesome interrogation techniques. However only nineteen of the two hundred were found guilty and executed in Salem. Five of the witches died whilst in jail. They were gruesomely murdered in front of everyone. Even two animals were accused of witchcraft. The accused of witchery were hung on “Gallows Hill” to die. Then after they were killed they burned the bodies of the accused on wooden stakes.

This sort of idea continued for more than 300 years later. From the 1300s in June or July to the 1600s in May is when the idea of witches really skyrocketed. When it had started in Salem and continued to spread. Some had said that there were more witches on the way to destroy the puritan way of life and the puritans themselves. The respected minister of the special court for witches had sent a letter basically stating that the court should not allow spectral evidence such as testimonies about dreams and vixens. The youngest person to be accused of witchcraft was only four years old.

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