Salem Witch Trials

Samuel Parris Enters Salem

In 1689, Samuel Parris became Salem's position as minister. Parris was born into wealth, and lived in Barbados most of his life. He had studied at Harvard, was a merchant, but decided to change his "occupation" after tiring of being a merchant. He had brought with him a slave named, Tituba, and his wife and children (Thomas, Betty, Susahanna).
Salem Village was not pleased with the new preacher, and by 1691, Parris was feeling the tention tighten between him and the village. The village showed their disdain by making him wait on his pay and not enforcing taxes to increase his pay. A frustrated Parris begin preaching "conspiracy" in the village, and saying it was the work of Satan.
During this time, Parris's neice, Abigail Williams, had entered the home. His daughter, Betty, spent much of her time with Abigail, and the two are thought to have participated in practices with Tituba, that were against the law of the village. However, the real problem occurred when the two girls became ill in 1692.
Abigail and Betty apparently became extremely ill, coughing and convulsing. Parris was concerned and called for his friend, "Reverend Hale," to observe the girls behavior. Hale could come to only one conclusion after observing the girls who, "were bitten and pinched by invisible agents; their arms, necks and backs turned this way and that way and returned back again so as it was impossible for them to do of themselves and beyond the power of any Epileptic Fits or natural Disease to effects;" it was witchcraft.
Upon hearing this, prayer and fasting took place to rid the girls of the spirits taking control of them. The illness did not stop, and Parris contacted Dr. William Griggs. Dr. Griggs confirmed Reverend Hale's prediction, and determined the illness was the work of evil.

Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692

The witchcraft trials did not come about just because of the girl's illness. Salem Village had been experiencing hardships for several years prior to Samuel Parris arriving. Village members did not readily accept church law or positions, land disputes were on the rise, and the economy was not pleasant for those in Salem (to name a few).
With continuous hardships, and living in a community where everyone knew everyone's business, an uprising of sorts was to be expected. Even so, there is a good chance no one in Salem expected it to come from children who would accuse dozens of witchcraft.
Even so, as the girl's condition worsened, and others experienced the same symptoms (all young girls), Parris wanted answers. He demanded to know who was doing this to these girls. In February 1692, three women had been arrested, one of the, was the slave Tituba (an easy accusation due to her "native folklore"). After the arrest, the girls named their victims.
The first three victim's were easy, one a Barbados slave, another who was a beggar, and the last who did not go to church. The trial could have easily ended there, and why it did not is a mystery. Perhaps the girls became over confident in their new found attention and power. After Tituba openly admitted to witchcraft (although, in some ways the admission seems sarcastic and very false), Parris set out on a "witch hunt" that would claim lives and ruin others.

The Victim's

Victims of the Salem Witch Trials were often women, but one victim was a four year old girl named Dorcus. Dorcus was the daughter of Sarah Good. She and her mother were accused of biting the girls and sending their spirits out to attack them. Dorcus was sent to prison for 8 months. She watched her mother ride off to the "gallows," and she "cried her heart out, and go insane."
Some victim's were arrested because they questioned the sincerity of the girls. They also questioned how the trials were being handled (such as the case with Martha Corey). After Massachusetts governor returned from England in the spring of 1692, five judges were appointed to oversee the trial. The judges allowed "here-say, gossip, stories," assumptions, disputable evidence, and marks of a witch (such as a mole) to be used as evidence. Those accused were not able to have witnesses nor a lawyer to speak for them.
The trials last throughout 1692. Anyone who was thought to be a witch had little hope of winning the case bought against them. Even if those accused were able to recite "The Lord's Prayer," "The Ten Commandments," or were well-respected members of the community, it seemed to matter not.
A huge turning point in the trials came when Rebecca Nurse and the former pastor, George Burroughs stood trial. Burroughs was not the most liked man in Salem, he had left the village quickly, and without a minister. He often participated in salary and land disputes, but he also displayed characteristics of generosity, gratitude, and humility. Despite his innocence (along with the reciting of "The Lord's Prayer" upon the gallows), he was hanged.
The biggest question arose when an older member of the community stood trial. Rebecca Nurse was a mother and grandmother and a well known figure in the community. She was proclaimed innocent after standing trial, but her accusers grew angry and continued to press to have her convicted. Unfortunately, by the end of July 1692, she was convicted, along with her other sisters, and was taken to "Gallow's hill."
Perhaps, both Nurse and Burroughs had been convicted due to land disputes and money. Burroughs was probably a prime target because he had caused trouble in the Village, but Nurse was a humble woman. However, John Putnam was a ruthless man who wanted land, and had been fighting with Nurse's family (Topfields) for quite some time.
As 1692 came to an end, the community started to tire of the witchhunt. Nobody was as sure as they once had been of who was being accused. It was at this time, "spectral evidence" was excluded. From here on out, witches had to be proven guilty "by clear and convincing evidence." This obviously caused the trials to slow and eventual stop.

After Math of the Witch Trials

Nineteen accused witches "were executed," four "died while in prison," one man was put to death by being pressed by stones, two dogs were accused and killed, and "one to two hundred" were charged and imprisoned. Upon ending the trials, accusers were ordered to give apologies for the hardship and injustice they had caused.
Samuel Parris lost his position, and blamed anyone but himself. One main judge of the trial absolutely refused to apologize for his actions, but it did not hurt him, because William Stoughton became governor of the colony.
Overall, the trial was never about witches, it was about money and land. Many who were accused were wealthier than those who accused them. The accusers had much to gain. By using the girl's sickness and actions to promote their desires, they created a hysteria that has become part of America's history.

Sources:
Douglas Linder, Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692, www.law.umkc.edu, updated September 2009.