Courts relied on three kinds of evidence: 1) confession , 2) testimony of two eyewitnesses to acts of witchcraft, or 3) spectral evidence (when the afflicted girls were having their fits, they would interact with an unseen assailant – the apparition of the witch tormenting them).
What was the primary evidence introduced in the Salem Witch Trials?
The Puritans believed physical realities had spiritual causes. For example, if the crops failed, the Devil may have played a role. With this worldview, it was not a stretch for them to accept ‘spectral evidence’ of spirits and visions —which was the primary evidence used as proof of guilt during the Salem Witch Trials.
What are 3 facts about the Salem Witch Trials?
- There were complex political, religious, and racial issues under the crisis. A lot was changing in colonial America at the time. ...
- Strange behavior at the time had alarmed Salem. ...
- Torture led to bizarre confessions. ...
- Bodies mounted. ...
- Some people condemned the trials...
What is the best explanation for the Salem Witch Trials?
The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft .
What were the 5 types of evidence allowed in the Salem Witch Trials?
Courts relied on three kinds of evidence: 1) confession, 2) testimony of two eyewitnesses to acts of witchcraft, or 3) spectral evidence (when the afflicted girls were having their fits, they would interact with an unseen assailant – the apparition of the witch tormenting them).
Why the Salem Witch Trials were unfair?
The Trials were unfair, the Government and the townspeople were corrupt, and they had stress from outer threats surrounding the village . The Salem Witch Trials were unfair. ... It was one of the largest witch hunts. During the trials unusual things happened and innocent people were blamed.
Who was the youngest person killed in the Salem witch trials?
| Dorothy/Dorcas Good | Died Unknown | Other names Dorcas Good | Known for Youngest accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch trials | Parent(s) William Good (father) Sarah Good (mother) |
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What is unique about the Salem witch trials?
A total of 25 people died because of the Salem witch trials. Fourteen women and six men were executed for witchcraft, and five others died in prison during the trials. One of the people who perished in prison was only an infant.
How old was the youngest person accused of witchcraft in Salem?
This sent panic throughout the Village of Salem and led to accusations of more than 200 local citizens over the next several months, including Dorothy “Dorcas” Good who was by far the youngest accused at age 4 (she spent eight months in the prison’s dungeon before being released) along with her mother, Sarah Good (who ...
How could the Salem witch trials be avoided?
It was virtually impossible to disprove charges of witchcraft in Salem , and defendants were convicted with no evidence other than personal accusations, the presence of a “devil’s mark” on their bodies, or because they failed one of the so-called “witch tests.” The courts accepted spectral evidence, that is, evidence ...
What sickness did the Salem witch trials have?
In 1976 Linnda Caporael offered the first evidence that the Salem witch trials followed an outbreak of rye ergot . Ergot is a fungus blight that forms hallucinogenic drugs in bread. Its victims can appear bewitched when they’re actually stoned. Ergot thrives in a cold winter followed by a wet spring.
What caused the Salem witch trials of 1692 answers?
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were caused due to an economical drought in Salem Village . When the economy went down in Salem Village people lost copious amounts of their farmland, which then angered the citizens because their taxes went to Salem Town.
What did the Salem witch trials teach us?
Ignorance of the difference between the demons we imagine and the ones we really face. The Salem trials remind us to beware of the work that fear and ignorance do in our own time, in our own society, and in our own hearts and minds. They call us to a place of courage and reason.
What happened to Salem after the witch trials?
After the prisoners awaiting trial on charges of practicing witchcraft were granted amnesty (pardoned) in 1693 , the accusers and judges showed hardly any remorse for executing twenty people and causing others to languish in jails.
How many rights were violated during the Salem witch trials?
violated were article four, five, article six, and seventeen .
