Salem Witch Trials

In a small town in Massachusetts a dark spell seem to swallow a town. Shadow figures ran to a small house. The town friar opens the door and a group of young girls enter. The girls look frightened and anxious. The old man knows that something bad must of happened, because the girls should not be out this late. The group tells him why they are there, and the man grabs his cloak and rushes out. They stop at a few more houses and get more men.

Just as the Baker family turns out the last lantern, there is a knock on the door. Mr. Baker gets up to answer it and in barges the men and the group of girls. The friar quickly pushed aside Mr. Baker and asks where is his wife. Mrs. Baker comes in with their baby daughter in her arms, who was awoken from all the noise. She asks what is the matter seeing the confusion on her husbands face. The friar points a finger at her and turns to the group of girls, "Is this her?". One of the girls began to shake, while two more of them grab their stomachs. Then one just screams and falls out in the floor. The men quickly grab Mrs. Baker and start to drag her out of the house. Mrs. Baker, shocked fo

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A strong belief in the devil, factions among Salem Village fanatics and rivalry with nearby Salem Town, a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. Parris called in the village doctor.

Salem today has been, of course, named the Witch city! There are many museums that have real artifacts from the witch trials such as; documentations of the trials, "witch pins" used during examinations of the accused, and a small bottle that are supposed to contain a victim’s finger bones. The hysteria started in January of 1962, when the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris became ill. He could not find anything medically wrong with them, so he said the girls were bewitched. Their names had been "cried out" by tormented young girls as the cause of their pain. The new court released those awaiting trial and pardoned those awaiting execution.

The story above is an example of the witch hysteria that captured Salem, Massachusetts.

To understand the events of the Salem witch trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. Salem Home Page

Salem Witch Trials

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Approximate Word count = 857
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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