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     Nineteen people were executed by hanging after being 

accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692.   Even 

though witchcraft was practiced in states from Maine to New 

York, the majority of trials took place in Salem.

    Life in Salem Village revolved around the church.   People 

of many different religions lived in Massachusetts in 1692 - 

Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, Huguenots, Roman Catholics, 

and Anglicans.   Most of the people involved in the Salem 

witchcraft trials were Congregational. Each congregation took 

care of its own business and was not governed by a board of 

bishops.   Yet, all of the congregations shared the same 

Christian ideas, as well as their opinions about witchcraft.  

Dancing and music were strictly forbidden because of their 

Pagan roots, the exception being hymns sung in church.   Toys 

were also forbidden and any schooling except that which 

involved religious teachings was frowned upon.   Life centered 

around the meeting house and services lasted most of the day 

on Sundays.   Puritan life was very rigid, consisting of all 

work and no play.   Girls were expected to help their mother 

with household chores while boys worked as crafters' helpers, 

in addition to hunting and fishing for food.   Showing any sort 

of emotion was frowned upon, considered to be rude, and was 

severely punished.

    It's no wonder that winters in Salem were extremely depressing 

for the young people, especially when forced to stay indoors 

because of the severe weather.  

   Several young girls started to meet at Rev. Parris' home to 

pass their boredom.   Rev. Parris' slave, Tituba, captivated the 

girls interest with stories about demons and witchcraft.   The 

girls also practiced fortune telling by cracking eggs into a 

glass container and interpreting the various shapes that were 

formed.   Marriage was one of the most important subjects in the 

life of the young girls in Salem, and they practiced fortune 

telling to find out who they would marry.   This was done by 

looking into a cup filled with milk and an egg.   The girls became 

horror-struck when they saw the shape of a coffin since a coffin 

symbolized death.   They became even more upset because this was a 

practice in which they had been forbidden to participate.

  Fortune telling was to be considered one of Devil's tools.  

They were told that the Devil was always waiting and watching to 

catch those who broke the rules they were supposed to follow.  

People surrounded their house with laurel springs to keep evil 

away.   They also hung a horseshoe over the front door to protect 

it and a rock with a hole in it in the stable to keep evil from 

the livestock.

  Witch hysteria became widespread by the middle of January when 

Betty Parris and her cousin, Abigail Williams, began to develop 

strange behavior.   They made odd noises, cried, twitched, threw 

things across the room, crawled under furniture and twisted 

their bodies into positions that were both unique and peculiar.  

They also stated that they were being picked by large pins and 

pinched so severely that their arms and legs were covered with 

large red bruises.

   William Griggs, the village doctor examined the girls and 

could not find any medical evidence that would explain the 

girls' weird behavior.   Therefore, his opinion was that the 

girls had come under the spells of a witch.

  Betty and Abigail had friends in the neighborhood who became 

very curious about their strange ailments.   Ann Putham, Mercy 

Lewis, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Walcoff, and Mary Warren formed a 

close bond with the two girls and shared conversations and 

confidences.   They felt comfortable with one another in this 

friendship while their imagination and storytelling enveloped 

them.   

  The Parris' slaves, Tituba and John Indian were instructed by 

neighbor Mary Sibley to create a spell in order to find out

who was responsible for the girls' strange behavior.   This was 

to be accomplished by baking a witch cake.   The cake was made 

by using rye and the urine from two girls.   The cake would 

then be fed to a dog.   If the dog began to have the same 

symptoms as the affected person, it would be proof that the 

cause of their behavior was witchcraft.

  After it was established that the girls were "possessed" they 

were questioned by their family who influenced the girls by 

suggesting some names of those who might be responsible for 

their ailments.   The girls then identified three local women - 

Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and the slave Tituba.   The three 

were arrested on February 29 and questioned on March 1.

   All three women had a low position in the community and 

were looked down upon by the villagers.   Sarah Good had a life 

of poverty and often had to beg for food.   Sarah Osborne's lack 

of attending church meetings and attempt to control her son's 

inheritance from a previous marriage was very distasteful to 

the other Puritans.   She also married an indentured servant 

which the villagers believed she did just to help serve her own 

interests.   Tituba was a slave who was known to influence and 

fascinate the girls with her stories about witchcraft. 

When the authorities questioned the three women, 

Tituba was the only one to confess.   She claimed 

that the devil came to her and made her serve him.  

She told her accusers that the devil was at work in 

Salem and that a man came to visit her and promised 

her pretty things.   She also described all the 

familiars of the man, spirits in the shape of animals.  

It was believed that witches were capable of changing 

shape and forms, as well as being invisible.   Many believed 

that Tituba confessed in order to have her life spared.  

During the Salem trials if you confessed to being a witch, 

your life was spared.  If you denied the charge but were found 

guilty, you were hanged.   If you told anyone you were troubled 

about the trials, you might be accused yourself.

   The number of people arrested grew so rapidly that a 

special court had to be set up to handle them all.   The 

arrested were from all socio-economic groups - rich, poor, 

well respected, ministers, etc.   As more and more people were 

accused, jails became extremely crowed.   Many people died in 

jail from disease since the jails were filthy. 

 Additional ways of finding out if someone was a witch were 

also used."Spectral evidence" ( saying that you were afflicted 

by someone's ghost) was allowed during cases against the 

accused. 

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