Witch or Not A Witch
That's for you to tell. By: Amanda Hemmersbach
Salem Witch Trials Who, and Why?
In colonial Massachusetts, in 1692-1693, people were tried for witchcraft. It all started with two girls names Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth. The doctor was the one who accused them. They started acting weird, having fits, and were believed to almost be acting possessed.Another insistent was when two men believed that 3 women were causing trouble. There names were Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne.
Quotes
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
"The Devil came to me and bid me serve him."
People. Quick to Judge
Salem eventually made up a special court to hear the witch cases. When the three girls were put on trial Good, and Osborne confessed innocence, while Tituba claimed that the devil was inside of her. After these incidence, a elder women who was known for gossiping was hung in what is now called Gallows Hall. Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft, over 20 were executed. People became way to eager to accuse one another. They would walk down the streets whispering, I believe she is a witch just based off the way she look. By one rumor of a person practicing witchcraft they would be tried. If they were found guilty by the judge they were hung. Some reasons why they were hung was by if they had a skin blemish, if they had witch artifacts such as voodoo dolls, or cauldrons, another reason is if they could not recite the Lord's Prayer, if they messed up they would be convicted as a witch. Some other ways to see if that person was a witch is that they would be dunked in water until they confessed, along with those lines, they would also throw them into a river tied up, and if they didn't come up they were a witch.Economy also played a role on the Salem Witch trails by the weather because when it got cold out the crops would die, and people got sick so they made it easier to accuse people because they kept getting sick. It also tied into the King Williams War.
Citation
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