THE SALEM WITCHCRAFT TRIALS
OF 1692
WITCHCRAFT HYSTERIA
• In 1692, the Massachusetts colony fell
victim to the fear of witches.
• Over 170 people were arrested and
accused of being witches.
• However, this was not an isolated incident.
From 1500-1700, it is estimated that
between one million and nine million
Europeans were executed as witches.
POLITICS AS USUAL
• Many of the people were accused of
and/or executed for witchcraft by political
rivals or enemies.
• Even King James I claimed that his
enemies practiced “the black arts.”
•The fear of witches and
black magic gripped the
largely uneducated and
equally superstitious
common man.
ACTUALLY, IT MAKES SENSE
• Because of the hardships that settlers
faced (bitter weather, sickness, death,
drought and insect infestations that
destroyed their crops), much of their bad
luck was blamed on the Devil.
• Puritans whole-heartedly believed that
witches were real, and very dangerous.
PURITAN GIRLS GONE WILD!
• In Salem Village, the minister’s daughter
and several other girls were caught doing
fortune-telling with the minister’s slave,
Tituba.
• When confronted, the girls
began having “siezures”
and have lapses into
“unconsciousness.”
WHEN IN DOUBT,
PICK THE OLD AND THE HOMELESS…
• At first, the girls only accused Tituba (the
minister’s slave) and two old women of
being witches.
• Eventually, the accusations spread to
many of the prominent and respected
members of the community.
THE WITCH TESTS
• The “sink test” involved tying rocks to the
accused and placing them in water. If they sank,
they were proclaimed innocent. If they floated,
they were pronounced a witch, and were then
hanged.
• The Satan's mark test involved a body search
for a “black mark of Satan.” They would look for
an odd black mark on the accused witch's body.
If found, the black mark was often poked with
needles to see if the person felt pain or bled. If
they did not, they were pronounced a witch.
MORE WITCH TESTS…
• The scales test involved weighing the accused
against a metal bound Bible. If they were lighter
than the Bible, they were found guilty of
witchcraft. If they outweighed the Bible on the
scales, they were innocent.
• The prayer test was another common test . The
accused was asked to recite the Lord's Prayer. If
they recited it flawlessly without problem, they
were proclaimed innocent.
• If the accused stumbled over words, made a
mistake or shrieked during their recitation, they
were considered guilty of witchcraft.
THE FINAL COUNT
• When the hysteria ended, over 170 people
had been arrested.Twenty people (men
and women) were executed for witchcraft.
• Giles Corey, an old man, died by pressing,
(being crushed under big rocks).
• His last words were “more weight.” Now
THAT’S thug!
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
• Fast forward to the 1950’s. America is
deep in the Cold War. The general public
is taught to fear the “evil Communists.”
• Senator Joe McCarthy, leader of the
House Committee on Un-American
Activites, begins the “Communist Witch
Hunts.”
• His “quest” is later
named “McCarthyism”.
ARTHUR MILLER
STRIKES BACK
• Seeing the injustice of McCarthyism,
Playwright Arthur Miller writes The
Crucible, telling the story of the Salem
Witchcraft Trials.
• Though it tells the story of true events,
everyone sees that the play is really about
the Communist Witch Hunts.
THE LAST LAUGH
• Miller was called to testify in front of the House
Committee on Un-American Activities.
• He refused to give information about some of his
friends and was found guilty of contempt ( a
sentence later overturned).
• Oh, and did I mention he married
Marilyn Monroe that year, too?