The Salem trials came at the end of a violent era of religious fanaticism and zealotry. What some call "the witchcraft mania" already had a long history in Europe, with an estimated 500,000 people, mainly women, being burned or hanged as witches during the Renaissance.
Use this link to access National Geographic's Interactive site and work your way through the exercise. For extra credit, in your response, please list 3 things you learned and what most surprised you.
Other resources on this topic:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm
http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/previous_seasons/case_salem/index.html
9 comments:
One thing i learned about the Salem Witch Hunt was that young girls were the cause of the entire thing. Children back then were thought of as pure and could not commit sin so everyone believed these girls without second thought. Another thing i learned was how many people actually died during this time, 19 hung and several others died in jail. The third thing i learned was that the whole witch hunt ended because the girls accused the governors wife, and that was going "too far". The most surprising I think or really the most interesting fact is that if the so-called witch confessed she was more likely to survive, and if she testified against another so-called witch her chances of coming out alive greatly increased.
Leah Wright
Period 1
The subject of the Salem Witch Hunts have always fascinated me. It has always left me with a weariness of good and evil. However, as most of us know there is not really the possiblity that puritans, the most conservative religion in the olden days, could have possibly had members who were "real" witches. It shocking to find out that nineteen people were hanged for this ghastly belief.
Today, in honors English, we started The Crucible by Arthur Miller. We discussed about the three reason we believe the witch hunts occured.
(1)it was a psychological game
(2)it was political
(3)moldy rye bread.
Yes, the mold on the rye bread is known to have hallucinogenic effect that are similar to LSD. Like the link told me, the "afflicted girls" were shaking and compulsing which also happens to be an affect of the drug mold.
One last thing is this website made you actually feel like you were the accused witch, and that I feel made this page extremely memorable.
Its just shocking how sometimes people blame things and actually like about instances, so they will not be looked down upon.
Thank you for putting up this site it was truly enlightening.
Devin Gilstrap
Period 2
Salem witch craft response
I found the fact that before the Salem ordeal 500,000 people had been killed for suspected witch craft, I also found it interesting that not only adults lied but so did children just to condemn an Innocent soul,
also that just two girls flipping out in the court room and saying that a specter of yours is tormenting them will change a juries mind
The interactive Salem witch hunt seemed quite dark and ominous as I participated. However, I now also understand that it wasn't rainbows and sunshine for the people actually experiencing it either. I learned that integrity was absent during this period of time for Salem. Lying to save your own skin while putting others through similar or worse experiences is low. I learned that pride was of upmost importance during this period of time. If someone accused one of your family members of being a witch, your family lost respect. However, if you are the one to blame a family member of being a witch, you save yourself some "honor". Another thing I learned is that it's all fun and games, until you bring the governors wife into the hunt. By accusing the governors wife of being a witch, the governor promptly shut down any further witch hunting. Why the governors wife? What prevented it from stopping at the first accusation? I find it surprising that by admitting you are a witch, whether true or not, is the way to save your own life. However, by saving yourself you condemn others to the fate you could have suffered. I wonder what would have happened had every person pleaded guilty. Would they just keep adding to their collection of witches? Or would a quota be met before hanging all future supposed witches?
when i went through the trial of the salem witch hunt exercise i learned that the whole thing was started by a group of girls in the 1600s. I do not believe any of the witches put through the torture an brutality of being ridiculed, made fun of, and even the death should have taken place. The girls who started this phenomina would act bewitched and when they were asked who is doing it they would simply say it was someone who they didn't like. all an all it is a vclever plan but they took it to far. It came to an end when the mayors wife had been acused, he pardoned everyone in the situation basicaly and it was over with, all accept the tale.
*I learned that it 25 people died.
* In 1711 the legislature passed a bill restoring the rights and good names of some of the people accused of being a witch or warlock.
*Lastly i learned that they actually made mends with the victims acused of being witches or warlocks by dedicating memorials them.
I found it most interesting that they still made them pay the jail fine even if they were wrongly acused because in the end everyone was pardoned.
Ivy Shields
History-0
september 25 2009
extra credit
Stephen Ouldhouse
Ms. Fetig
Period 0
I never knew that the witch hunts had already been going on in Europe for quite some time before it hit Salem. I also never knew that it was just women accused. Although thinking about womens roles in that time, it is not surprising that it was only women who could be witches. But I guess the name witch should have given me a clue. I also never knew the extent the witchcraft trials were. The number killed was always a hidden topic. Honestly, I was under the impression that hundreds were killed and that everyone accused was put to the test. Thankfully the pages from National Geographic cleared it up for me. By the way, good job on the pages, they made you feel like you where living the horror. Finally I learned pride was actually of importance to the people of Salem. Not everyone lied just to get someone they did no like killed. People believed in the witches and it was a serious matter. Thanks for showing me this site I enjoyed getting the facts straight about the disaster in Salem.
I can honestly admit that I really had no knowledge of the Salem Witch Hunt until looking at this site.
Beth Parris was the daughter of the village reverend. Not long after he was forced out of the church his daughter and their slave, Tituba, began having fits beyond explanation. The Puritans thought the only reasonable explanation was witchcraft. Tituba was labeled as a witch and held in jail until she was sold to a new master in 1963. But the first women to be tried and hanged was Bridget Bishop. She had been accused of witch-craft years before the Salem Witch Hunt. But she was not executed until June of 1692. Bridget was an outcast but the witch hunters targeted not only them but the devoutly religious as well. Martha Cory and Rebecca Nurse were two religious women who were both accused of witch-craft. But Rebecca Nurse was the first to ever be accused and found not guilty. The jury eventually reconsidered their decision and she was hanged in July of 1692. The Salem Witch Hunt took 25 lives. Nineteen and one defendant were hanged, and five, including and infant, died in jail. The Salem Witch Hunt was a tragic time for all of Massachusetts and it still effects us now.
Kayla Jacques!
History-2
10/4/09
Extra Credit!
I have been studying the Salem Witch Trials in my English Class so this post was perfect timing.
I was interested to learn that it all started when minister Parris found his daughter was sick and having compulsions. It was also interesting to learn that the girls were dance in the forest the night before and he found one at least without clothes on.
It was weird to learn that if you were accused of witch craft that if you just agreed to being a witch you could live but if you refused you would be killed. It seems logical that if you were a witch for real that you would get killed, not the opposite. The fact that they killed around 25 people for being a witch was interesting. It was fascinating that the whole tragedy ended when the governors wife was accused was interesting to me. The fact that she was higher in power and class made it so that people finally realized that many others were being falsely accused. I learned a lot by going on the websites provided as well as reading the Crucible by Arthur Miller.
Hailey Borders
History 4
The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem because of the accusations of a few young girls. Overall 25 people died, both men and women. Elizabeth Proctor was accused of being a witch along with her husband. She was not put to death because she was thought to be pregnant; her husband did not have the same fate however. Tibitua was Rev. Parris's slave and confessed to being a witch and also to possesing other girls. Also I learned that anyone could be accused of being a witch. Many people even accused others to get them killed because they did not like them. The town of Salem had lots of pride; if someone was accused they could confess and be saved ,but many chose to tell the truth and go to heaven instead of lying. I think the exersice was very enlightening and it gave me a totally different perspective of the Salem Witch Trials. Thank you.
B.S.
P.4
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