Salem Witch TrialsVirginia Falbo

Background The Trials took place in 1962 with many innocent accused.

Those accused were forced into confessing by coercion and torture

Those afflicted had something to gain by accusing another of witch craft

Procedure used in Trials

The afflicted person makes a complaint to the Magistrate about a suspected witch.

The Magistrate issues a warrant for the arrest of the accused person.

The accused person is taken into custody and examined/tortured. If assumed guilty, the accused is sent to jail to await trial.

The case is presented to the Grand Jury.  Many come forward to give testimony on the innocence but mostly the guiltiness of the accused.

If the accused is indicated by the Grand Jury, they are tried before the Court of Oyer and Terminer.  A jury, instructed by the Court, decides the defendant's guilt.

The accused receives his or her sentence from the Court, to be hanged.

The Sheriff and his deputies carry out the sentence of death on the specified date

How they were Accused

Tituba was an accused witch that only escaped a hanging because she was influential in bringing about the finding and arrests of other witches. She played a major role in the Salem Witch Trials.

THE CRUCIBLE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA9iyMKTkHY

Sarah Good

In The Crucible clip, Tituba names Sarah Good as a witch. Good was disliked in the community because of her family background and boisterous behavior. She, however, did not fit any of the norms of an accused witch.

Sarah Good

The end of the trials

By the end of 1692, the trials started slowing down. The educated elites in Salem started putting an end to the witchcraft hysteria. Soon many started to realize that those they put to death could have been innocent and that it was them that were tricked by the devil into thinking that the accused really was a witch.

Works were published on the subject and sent to Governor Phips who, in May of 1693 ended all acquittals and released all of the remaining accused witches.

Statistics of the trials

By the time the witch-hunts came to a close:

19 convicted were executed (including children)

4 accused had died in prison

1 man was pressed to death for refusing to stand trial

Between 100 and 200 others were arrested and sent to jail on witchcraft charges

Two dogs were suspected witch accomplices and were executed