The Witch Hunt of 1692
In a time when Puritan beliefs struck fear in society, paranoia swept through the town. By 1692, the God-fearing people of Salem were so consumed by their reverence they even began naming their
The Witch Hunt of 1692
In a time when Puritan beliefs struck fear in society, paranoia swept through the town. By 1692, the God-fearing people of Salem were so consumed by their reverence they even began naming their children One-Who-Fears-God and Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery.
January: Two girls, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams start to show strange behavior, such as seizures and screaming. Betty Parris was the daughter of Reverend Samuel Parris. Soon after, several other Salem girls begin to show similar behavior, including Ann Putnam Jr. After an examination by the town doctor, the were proclaimed as bewitched.
February: Once Salem’s village doctor diagnoses that the girls are under the influence of Satan, prayer services are held for the girls. The girls give the names of three women who they believe are witches. Two maintained their innocence, but Tituba, Elizabeth’s slave, confessed and said that there were other witches in Salem.
March: Magistrates perform “witch tests” on the three accused women. Over the next few weeks, many more women are accused of witchcraft, mostly those who are not normal. Those accused included Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott, Mary Warren, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, and E