Created by Lawrence Kwong and Josh Lishnevetsky of 7C ID4
“Witches? We’re all witches in one way or
another. Witches was the invention of
mankind, son. We’re all witches beneath
the skin.” - Ian Rankin, The Flood
•
When the Puritans came to
America, they were looking for
religious freedom and a place to
start anew.
 Religion kept them together and was a major part of their
lives, everyone being very pious and devout to their strict
Protestant faith.
 During this period when the Massachusetts Bay Colony was
thriving, a number of religious trials took place in the village of
Salem, Massachusetts in between 1692 and 1693. Many innocent
people were accused and even killed during these times.
 These notorious trials are now known as,
The Salem Witch Trials.
Hard Times in Massachusetts
• During 1692, the Puritan village of Salem faced
many hardships. The colonists awaited a new
governor and “had no charter to enforce laws.”
Along with no government system or anybody to
overlook the village, the colonists faced many
attacks from the neighboring Native Americans
and French Canadians. They themselves had
many problems with farming and diseases- the
land was rocky and hard to traverse, along with a
bitter climate that caused droughts and floods
that would ruin a year’s crops. An epidemic of
disease, such as smallpox, could kill an entire
family, and freezing winters made life almost
unbearable. Many of the villagers believed that
the Devil had cursed them and had purposely
made their lives miserable.
• Perhaps it were the hardships that caused the Salem Witch
Trials, but it was in 1692 that the theory of witchcraft evolved
from a belief to a fact for them.
• Betty Parris, 9, Abigail Williams, 11, and Ann Putnam, 12, start
to have odd fits, where they contorted their bodies in eccentric
positions, shouted improper phrases, and threw objects around
the room as they talked randomly about gibberish.
• Doctors proclaimed that the girl’s behavior was the result of
Satan’s work and that the girls were now possessed by the
Devil.
Ann Putnam
Abigail
Williams
We knew
nothing
about
science, so
we just
blamed it on
the Devil!
Betty Paris
•
When the girls were accused of
being possessed by the Devil,
they all pointed fingers at a slave
from the West Indies named
Tituba, and two other spinsters
named Sarah Osborne, and
Sarah Good.
 Though both Sarah's are acquitted of their accusations of being a
witch, Tituba lies- she takes the blame and confesses to the
accusations of being a witch. Her life was spared, but in return,
many others were lost because of her “strange, colorful stories
about animals and otherworldly creatures” and accusations of
others being witches.
 Immediately after, people were frightened and frantic to capture
the primary witch, causing a witch frenzy.
Tituba, The Lying Slave- Right?
She was a slave that was purchased in Barbados, where she
had practiced voodoo, spells, and conjuring tricks.
Of the 3 women who were accused of witchcraft, Tituba was
the only one who survived the trials.
Though many know her as the liar who caused many of the
deaths during the Salem witch trials, Tituba technically did
nothing wrong. She had believed at the time, that she had the
ability to actually summon demons/imps, therefore, she had
told the “truth” that she was a witch- someone who
supposedly had the ability to create evil and dangerous
monsters as well.




As people are now accusing others of being a witch,
each person in the village suspects one another, and
most of the villagers are put on trial- the Salem Witch
Trials have begun.
Many of the people who are accused by the girls or
Tituba, also confess to being a witch and believe that by
giving in to the people’s accusations, they would stay
alive.
Ultimately, their lives were spared, but now that they
were no longer accused, they were forced to tell more
lies and accusations about other people being witches.
To put it simply, “as hysteria spread, people concluded
that it was safer to accuse than be accused….to paint
someone as a witch was often a matter of say-so.”
The Ultimate Test
• When someone was accused of being
a witch, they were put on trial and
sometimes he or she would be tested.
• One way they would proceed with the
test would be to tie the witch up and
throw him/her into the water- if he or
she drowned, they were innocent, but
if they survived, they would be a
witch!
• Funny thing is, everyone who was
tested this way, died!
• And I wonder why?
Bridget Bishop and Elizabeth Procter
• Bridget Bishop was an outcast in the Puritan community since she
mocked Puritan traditions, went against laws, and wore a different
fashion of clothing.
• She was actually accused of witchcraft some years before the 1692
witch-hunt and her past made her an easy target of accusations.
• She was the first “witch” to be tried, condemned, and executed.
• 8 days after the Salem Witch Trials begin, Bridget Bishop is hanged on
Gallows hill- June 10, 1692.
• Elizabeth Procter was a pregnant Puritan who’s death sentenced was
postponed after her conviction of witchcraft- her pregnancy had saved
her.
• She survived the trials and was eventually released. In the eyes of the
law though, she was dead and therefore, she could not reclaim her late
husband’s property or even her own dowry.
Rebecca Nurse
Rebecca Nurse was a respected
churchgoer and leader of the Puritan
community.
 She was the only accused witch that
was not found guilty. A total of 40 or
more friends and neighbors had
testified and argued Rebecca’s faith
and morale.
 The verdict, however, sparked such a
terrifying outcry from the accusers- the
girls and Tituba- that the chief judge
ordered the jury to reconsider. They
then found Rebecca Nurse guilty.
 She was hanged on July 19, 1692.

GEORGE BURROUGHSTHE LORD’S PRAYER
•
Another way that some people believed would prove if someone was a witch was if someone
could perfectly recite the Lord's Prayer then he or she was not a witch. This was Reverend’s
Cotton Mather’s theory.
•
George Burroughs proved Mather’s theory wrong though. Burroughs was the only Puritan
minister/reverend who was accused and executed in 1692 in Salem. He was the minister of
Salem Village but left it 3 years later, eventually leaving the village as well because of his debt.
However, twelve years later, he was charged, arrested, and brought back to Salem. Many
Puritans testified against him and called him the "ring leader" of the witches.
•
He was found guilty and hanged on August 19, 1692.
•
The most notorious part about his death though was that he said the Lord’s prayer right before
he died. Mather had claimed that it was impossible for a witch to state this Biblical statement.
It is said that it was “so well worded, and uttered with such composedness…and drew Tears
from many.”
• John Willard was a deputy constable who was frustrated
about having to arrest “witches” he considered innocent.
His skepticism enraged his community members and
Willard was accused of witchcraft; Ann Putnam alone
blamed his specter (a terrifying, intangible spirit-of Satan
in this case) for a dozen murders.
• He was hanged on August 19, 1692.
Giles
Cory
 One of the 25 members killed in the Salem Witch Trials
 Giles was a rich farmer and full member of the church.
 April 1692- accused of visiting Ann Putnam and asking to write
in the Devil’s book (referring to a book from the Devil that
Tituba claimed all witches had signed)
 Ghosts “told” Ann that he was a killer and Giles Cory was
pronounced guilty.
 He was stoned on September 19th, 1692 (while stoned, his last
words were, “More stones.”).
Dorothy Good- A
Child’s Innocence
 4½ year-old girl
 Her nickname was Dorcas Good.
 She was the daughter of Sarah Good, one of the women
who were accused and hanged for being a witch.
 Dorcas was taken to prison after her mother’s death and
tortured in her cell- one of the first cases of child abuse.
 Paranoia spreads through the village as the Puritans
realize that if a 4 year old girl, devout and pious church
members can be witches, as well as ministers, anybody
can be a witch.
A Matter of “Which Witch is Which?”
An Everyday Puritan
• Puritans from England
• Lived in Massachusetts
• Normal People
‘Witches’
• Puritans from England
• Lived in Massachusetts
• Normal People
The End of the Noose
 The mass hysteria ended nearly two years later, in 1693,
when the governor’s wife was accused of being a witch.
 Everyone in the community knew that she was a respectable
and cordial woman that couldn’t possibly be a witch.
 They began to doubt the accusations from the witch trials and
all the theories of everyone being possessed by the Devil.
 In October of 1692, the governor, Governor Phipps,
“prohibited further arrests, released many accused witches
and dissolved” the courts where the trials took place. By May
1693, “Phipps eventually pardoned all who were in prison on
witchcraft charges” and the Salem Witch Trials were over.
More than 200 people were accused of witchcraft and of
those people, 25 had died.
A Mere Starvation for Attention?
•
•
Some people say that the girls (Betty Paris, Abigail
Williams, Ann Putnam) had had “seizures” due to a
disease, while others say they were just playing around
for attention.
The theory is that Tituba, the slave, had taught them
how to bark like animals, contort their bodies, and act
eccentrically like the demons she could “summon.”
These actions began to make the colonists even more
aware of the Devil’s presence in the community and
when the girls were accused of being possessed, they
had blamed it on Tituba since she had taught them
these things.
A Disease?
Picture
of a
grain
infected
with
fungus
ergot

Recently though, scientists and historians
have analyzed the incident again and now
believe that the three girls had been
poisoned through their food. Rye, a very
common grain found in Massachusetts,
could have been infected by fungus ergot, a
fungus that forms in grains under the right
weather conditions (warm and damp
conditions). It happens though, that Salem
had these conditions during their summer
growing season in 1691. Furthermore, each
girl lived near marshes or swamps, all
places where ergot could have prospered
and had the symptoms of this fungusmuscle spasms, delusions, seizures, and
contortions.
Perhaps it is true, but they are only theories, with no complete facts we can determine,
and there are many other possible theories surrounding the trials about what caused
the girls to act absurdly.
Highlights
Highlights
• Ann Putnam, Abigail Williams, and Betty Paris began
having convulsions and were accused of being
possessed by Satan.
• They accused 3 women, Tituba, Sarah Good, and
Sarah Osborne, of being witches.
• Tituba admits to this accusation and begins to accuse
others of the same title.
• 150 people were jailed during that spring of 1692.
• The Salem Witch Trials began on June 2, 1692.
• When the trials finally ended, 25 people had died,
100s jailed, and the town mourned the deaths of
the deceased.
In Memory of….
Names of those
who had died due
to the devastating
Salem Witch Trials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bridget Bishop- June 10th, 1692
Sarah Good- July 19th, 1692
Rebecca Nurse- July 19th, 1692
Susannah Martin- July 19th, 1692
Elizabeth How- July 19th, 1692
Sarah Wilds- July 19th, 1692
George Burroughs- August 19th, 1692
John Proctor- August 19th, 1692
John Willard- August 19th, 1692
George Jacobs, Sr.- August 19th, 1692
Martha Carrier- August 19th, 1692
Giles Corey- September 19th, 1692 (stoned)
Martha Corey- September 22nd, 1692
Mary Eastey- September 22nd, 1692
Alice Parker- September 22nd, 1692
Ann Pudeater- September 22nd, 1692
Margaret Scott- September 22nd, 1692
Wilmott Reed- September 22nd, 1692
Samuel Wardwell- September 22nd, 1692
Mary Parker- September 22nd, 1692
Sarah Osborne- She died in jail
Roger Toothaker- He died in jail
Lyndia Dustin- She died in jail
Ann Foster- She died in jail
Fun Activities!
If you would like to watch a video or do a fun
activity, click on the following links. Have fun!
 http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladve
ntures/salemwitchtrials/story/story.html
 http://www.history.com/videos/salem-witchtrials#salem-witch-trials
 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/
 http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/2952
9-assignment-discovery-salem-witch-trialsvideo.htm
Bibliography- Sources
• http://www.smithsonianmag.com/historyarchaeology/brief-salem.html
• http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladv
entures/salemwitchtrials/story/story.html
• http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/
• http://www.history.com/videos/salem-witchtrials#salem-witch-trials
• http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/people?group.num=
all&mbio.num=mb3
• A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem
Witch Trials by Frances Hill
• Read magazine: Witch Hunt
Bibliography- Picture Sources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/58/164403383_25a8b1a836.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.attitudehair.co.uk/tag/choose/&usg=__IiiYnNJL2t_f4mn2rq5bMWS49_Q=&h=500&w=375&sz=72&hl=en&start=21&sig2=1Ltx
KhHsYymNSo0Oxoxnfg&zoom=1&tbnid=hEMwezS3gWcA6M:&tbnh=162&tbnw=126&ei=nGTUTpjFBYnn0QGLydyQAg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dfirewood%2Bon%2Bfire%26tbnh%3D140%26tbnw%3D145%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26rlz
%3D1C1SNNT_enUS388US389%26sig%3D112612027975438652555%26biw%3D1600%26bih%3D775%26tbs%3Dsimg:CAESEglgmINI6bNpSFNAyocP4EtlQ%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1158&vpy=290&dur=712&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=
149&ty=127&sig=112612027975438652555&page=2&ved=1t:429,r:20,s:40
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=732&tbm=isch&tbnid=LXdHF2wBn6aYxM:&imgrefurl=http://coryfamsoc.com/resources/articles/witch.htm&docid=GfdsbAFu8CeF0M&imgurl=http://c
oryfamsoc.com/resources/articles/images/Sal_hang.jpg&w=335&h=291&ei=TWXUTr_WBuLc0QGRy6nbAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=196&vpy=190&dur=63&hovh=209&hovw=241&tx=194&ty=99&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&tbnh=159&tbnw
=183&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=732&tbm=isch&tbnid=MLxQCpFe1b4lVM:&imgrefurl=http://ushistoryimages.com/puritans.shtm&docid=L3xm0e1P2UZ8pM&imgurl=http://ushistoryi
mages.com/images/puritans/fullsize/puritans2.jpg&w=600&h=483&ei=bmXUTvGiM8bi0QHS04WEAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1102&vpy=190&dur=238&hovh=201&hovw=250&tx=107&ty=95&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&tbnh=151&tbnw=20
9&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/images/salem1.jpg
https://mikeely.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/hl2zd00z.jpg?w=400&h=300&h=300
http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/walter.sargent/public.www/web%20230/smallpox.jpg
http://cache2.artprintimages.com/lrg/30/3033/J6MBF00Z.jpg
http://yesteryearsnews.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/ducking-stool-bristol.jpg
http://whyfiles.org/144larrydodder/images/drowning.gif
http://www.rediscoverscientology.com/images/stories/medieval/witch-test.jpg
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=k5ck4rSP6qXoXM:&imgrefurl=http://fc.nbsc.org/~swurster/1btrialtranscripts.html&docid=D6vRs8aK8r_rLM&imgurl=http://fc.nb
sc.org/~swurster/PICTURES/1brebeccanurse.jpg&w=384&h=591&ei=oFzVTpPiA4Pv0gHw6DnAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=284&vpy=144&dur=405&hovh=279&hovw=181&tx=117&ty=179&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=93&star
t=0&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=L35n7T3QYCsUaM:&imgrefurl=http://apushwikimarlboroughschool.wikispaces.com/The%2BSalem%2BWitch%2BTrials%2Band%
2Bthe%2BLife%2Bof%2BSarah%2BAverill%2BWildes&docid=UUA2Oiep8nezpM&imgurl=http://apushwikimarlboroughschool.wikispaces.com/file/view/hibbins1.jpg/75924499/hibbins1.jpg&w=329&h=600&ei=21zVTqzLJ6Tg0QHJo4XmAQ&zoom=1&iact=
hc&vpx=126&vpy=383&dur=546&hovh=286&hovw=157&tx=168&ty=274&sig=112612027975438652555&page=3&tbnh=131&tbnw=72&start=66&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:66
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=glCsGrmSYqz0dM:&imgrefurl=http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/images/salem-mass/salem-ma24.htm&docid=7IBWk54m3W74WM&imgurl=http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/images/salem-mass/witch-dungeon-scroll10.jpg&w=525&h=394&ei=Wl3VTvWwFMft0gGXi3uAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=747&vpy=146&dur=780&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=124&ty=140&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&tbnh=128&tbnw=171&start=0&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=FUU4uSAFfINweM:&imgrefurl=http://jreuter.hubpages.com/hub/KingofHellTheTrialofGeorgeBurroughsandtheSalemWitchTrials
PartOne&docid=TuQsMggoQS8M&imgurl=http://s3.hubimg.com/u/398978_f260.jpg&w=260&h=376&ei=Wl3VTvWwFMft0gGXi3uAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1230&vpy=108&dur=686&hovh=270&hovw=187&tx=118&ty=96&sig=11261202797543865255
5&page=1&tbnh=128&tbnw=95&start=0&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/micawave/6299190070/
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=IK0zRsngCebS7M:&imgrefurl=http://radiophlegm.blogspot.com/2010/02/gallowsspeeches.html&docid=bvDBDJ1bVUhm7M&img
url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__Bwslu8a_0/S3OyU7kAKWI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/BYDHPGwCOSs/s400/giles%252Bcorey.jpg&w=400&h=252&ei=1F3VTsnhJYTq0gGppK34AQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=506&vpy=327&dur=31&hovh=178&hovw=283&tx=170&ty=
129&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&tbnh=101&tbnw=161&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=aI2uAcWwouGg3M:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Corey&docid=wBM2qruSMlsHM&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1d/Giles_Corey_restored.jpg&w=378&h=226&ei=KV7VTu3OCYnu0gGvLzqAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=166&vpy=161&dur=546&hovh=173&hovw=290&tx=149&ty=125&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&tbnh=108&tbnw=181&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=nxeBGPJJhi9raM:&imgrefurl=http://wideopenspaces.squarespace.com/wide-openspaces/%3Fcurrentpage%3D36%26currentPage%3D19&docid=WnrfuGkAinVntM&imgurl=http://wideopenspaces.squarespace.com/storage/innocent%252520girl.jpg%253F__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION%253D1253281365049&w=450&h=450&ei=M
2HVToCGEuPn0QGj77zaAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=344&sig=112612027975438652555&page=2&tbnh=151&tbnw=156&start=25&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:25&tx=105&ty=73
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=739&tbm=isch&tbnid=aMnq7lhB7DI3VM:&imgrefurl=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/08/12/no-to-thenoose/&docid=L2CfRtoMf7QUnM&imgurl=http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/hangmansnoose.jpg&w=400&h=300&ei=A1_VTum7Osr40gGl1onjBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=278&vpy=182&dur=615&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=191&ty=79&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&tbnh=128&tbnw=166&start=0&ndsp=49&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/2972902102/
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=tSgZ_IfRIiwIKM:&imgrefurl=http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx%3Fid%3D649222&docid=HDGLAs0HjP7XyM&imgurl=http:/
/www.xtimeline.com/__UserPic_Large/77600/evt101004071000631.jpg&w=276&h=250&ei=qF_VTovLEKP20gGr08DmAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1196&vpy=287&dur=249&hovh=200&hovw=220&tx=81&ty=85&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&t
bnh=128&tbnw=139&start=0&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&rlz=1C1SNNT_enUS388US389&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=maWyLTdEXWhApM:&imgrefurl=http://www.museumofdisability.org/medicine_timeline.asp&docid=059GdWXKTBK9MM&imgu
rl=http://www.museumofdisability.org/siteimages/medicine/BurningWoman.jpg&w=254&h=206&ei=WWDVTpbEK7C10AGNkqjsAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=652&vpy=499&dur=250&hovh=164&hovw=203&tx=94&ty=125&sig=112612027975438652555
&page=3&tbnh=126&tbnw=155&start=71&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:71
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/brief-salem.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/3000/velka/11243526199JAmc.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/viewimage.php%3Fimage%3D2924%26picture%3Doldgravestones%26large%3
D1%26jazyk%3DCS&usg=__1t3A2xJnHEb39YBRJkHFJgqRvOY=&h=853&w=1280&sz=432&hl=en&start=0&sig2=OA6zODNiI8kg0fOLC9Btcg&zoom=1&tbnid=CQkGdiUmJkoNEM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=156&ei=VzUTtOyNMbj0QGHzPGcAg&um=1&itbs=1&iact=h
c&vpx=161&vpy=179&dur=691&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=111&ty=147&sig=112612027975438652555&page=1&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0