Were Young People Hanged For Witchcraft?

Belief in the supernatural, particularly in the devil’s practice of giving certain humans (witches) the power to harm others in return for their loyalty, emerged in Europe as early as the 14th century and was widespread in colonial New England. The harsh realities of life in the rural Puritan community led to the Salem Witch Trials, a series of investigations and persecutions that resulted in 19 convicted “witches” being hanged and many other suspects imprisoned. Women were not the only ones believed to be witches; men and children were also accused. By the end of the trials in 1693, 24 people had died, some in jail but most by hanging.

A core group of accusers, all girls and young women ranging in age from nine to 20, screamed, writhed, barked, and displayed other horrifying behaviors. Over 150 women, men, and children from Salem Village (present-day Danvers) and neighboring communities were formally accused of practicing witchcraft. A doctor diagnosed the children as victims of black magic, and allegations of witchcraft spread like a virus through the small Puritan community. On July 19, five more convicted persons were hanged, including Nurse and Good. Over 40 children were executed due to being accused of witchcraft during this time.

In the late seventeenth century, child witch accusations in Calw, Germany, though to a lesser extent than in Würzburg, brought forward the child witch accusations in Calw, Germany. The possibility of children being witches was confirmed further by numerous confessions from imprisoned adults that they had been seduced into witchcraft. Bridget Bishop, the first colonist to be tried in the Salem witch trials, is hanged after being found guilty of the practice of witchcraft.

Who was the first person to be hanged for witchcraft?

In May 1647, Alse Young, also known as Achsah or Alice, was the first person executed for witchcraft in America. He was hanged at the gallows by Meeting House Square in Hartford, which is now the site of the Old State House. The panic over witchcraft in Connecticut began four decades earlier than in Salem and continued for several decades. Alse Young was one of over ten people accused and hanged for witchcraft in Connecticut.

Mary Johnson of Wethersfield was executed in 1648 after confessing to entering into a compact with the devil, the earliest confession of this kind in the colonies. Joan and John Carrington, the first of several accused couples, were executed in 1651. Some of the accused were acquitted or exonerated with damages, while others fled the colony.

John Winthrop Jr. became Connecticut’s governor and chief magistrate in 1657 and was given an official royal charter from King Charles II. This charter established Connecticut as an independent colony and granted Winthrop the right to pardon offenders. He overturned the conviction of Elizabeth Seager of Hartford at her third witchcraft trial in 1666 and saved Katherine Harrison from a death sentence in 1669. Harrison’s trial changed the way evidence was used in Connecticut, determining that there should be a plurality of witnesses and that the burden of proof should be on the accusers.

Who was the youngest witch executed?

Dorcas Good, born around 1687/1688, was the daughter of William Good and Sarah Good. She and her mother were accused of practicing witchcraft in Salem during the Salem witch trials in 1692. At just four years old, she was interrogated by local magistrates and confessed to being a witch. She claimed to have seen her mother consorting with the devil. Mary Walcott and Ann Putnam Jr. claimed she was deranged and bit them as if she were an animal. Dorcas, written as “Dorcas” on the warrant for her arrest, received a brief hearing and was sent to jail, becoming the youngest person to be jailed during the trials.

Two days later, she claimed to own a snake given to her by her mother that talked to her and sucked blood from her finger. Officials took this to mean it was her “familiar”, a witch’s spiritual servant in animal form.

Were 19 people hanged in the witch trials?

The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693, involving over 200 people accused of witchcraft. Thirty people were found guilty, with nineteen executed by hanging. The trials took place in various towns beyond Salem Village and its regional center, including Andover and Topsfield. The grand juries and trials were conducted by a Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692 and a Superior Court of Judicature in 1693, both held in Salem Town. This was the deadliest witch hunt in colonial North America’s history.

The Salem witch trials were a colonial manifestation of the broader phenomenon of witch trials in the early modern period, which took the lives of tens of thousands in Europe. The events have been used in political rhetoric and popular literature as a cautionary tale about the dangers of isolation, religious extremism, false accusations, and lapses in due process. Many historians consider the lasting effects of the trials highly influential in the history of the United States, with historian George Lincoln Burr stating that the Salem witchcraft was the foundation for the theocracy in New England.

Who was the youngest person jailed for witchcraft?

Dorothy Good, the youngest person to be arrested and jailed in 1692, was accused of practicing witchcraft at the age of four. She was confined to a dungeon-like prison for nearly eight months, initially with her mother and infant sister. However, her comforts were later removed when her sister perished in the prison conditions and her mother was convicted of practicing witchcraft and taken away for execution. Dorothy’s father described her as “chargeable having little or no reason to govern herself”.

Historical accounts of the Salem witch trials often reference Dorothy’s status as the youngest person to be imprisoned and her story with reference to the reparation payment awarded to her father in 1712. Recent research by the Director of Education has revealed more information about Dorothy’s adult life, including her straying and rambling life, and her birth of two children without a husband to claim them as his own.

Who was not hanged during the Salem witch trials?

Giles Corey, born in England in 1611, was one of the six mento be executed during the Salem witch trials of 1692. He was pressed to death with stones for refusing to “put himself on the country”, or allow himself to be put on trial. Despite being a full member of the Village church and having close ties to the Porter faction, Corey’s reputation as a “scandalous life” and lack of consideration for others in the community led to suspicion of his guilt during the trials.

In 1675, Corey killed a farm worker named Jacob Goodale and was found guilty of the murder and ordered to pay a substantial fine. By the time of the trials, Giles was 80 and married to his third wife, Martha. On March 19, 1692, Martha was arrested for witchcraft. Giles decided to testify against her but eventually tried to recan this deposition, leading to greater suspicion of his involvement in witchcraft due to the stigma surrounding perjury.

On April 19, 1692, Giles Corey was accused of witchcraft and a warrant was out for his arrest. There were two primary accusations: one from Abigail Hobbs, who named Giles and Martha Corey as fellow witches, and one from Exekiell Chevers and John Putnam, Jr., who filed an accusation on behalf of Ann Putnam, Marcy Lewis, Abigail Williams, Mary Walcott, and Elizabeth Hubbard.

How many children died in the crucible?

Mrs. Putnam had eight children, seven of whom died. The Putnams attributed this series of unfortunate events to a supposed curse placed upon them by Mrs. Nurse. Francis Nurse, a prominent figure in the community, endeavored to impede the proceedings by providing assistance to John Proctor.

Were any children killed in the Salem witch trials?

The Salem Witch Trials, a series of events in 1692-1693, resulted in the deaths of 25 innocent women, men, and children. The community lived under a cloud of suspicion, leading to a series of conflicts and tensions that triggered the most widespread and lethal outbreak of witchcraft accusations in North America. Today, the city of Salem attracts over 1 million tourists annually, many of whom seek to learn more about the witch trials. The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) holds one of the world’s most important collections of objects and architecture related to the Salem Witch Trials.

From 1980 to 2023, PEM’s Phillips Library was the temporary repository of the state’s Supreme Judicial Court collection of witch trial documents. These legal records, which were returned to the Judicial Archives after modernization, are now available to researchers worldwide through a comprehensive digitization project. PEM is committed to telling the story of the Salem Witch Trials in ways that honor the victims and amplify the teachings of wrongful persecution that remain relevant to today.

Who was the 4 year old girl accused of being a witch?

In 1692, Dorothy Good of Salem Village was arrested on suspicion of witchcraft, along with her mother Sarah. The trouble began in February 1692 when Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris, daughters of Reverend Samuel Parris, began acting strangely, complaining of bites, contorting their bodies, throwing things, and falling into trances. A doctor’s examination concluded they were suffering from the evil effects of witchcraft. The “afflicted” girls were asked to name names, and it was believed that witches were in Salem Village due to the fear of attack from warring tribes and unease about a new charter.

Historian Margo Burns, associate editor of Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, examines the witch trials through original-source documents in “The Capital Crime of Witchcraft: What the Primary Sources Tell Us”, a presentation sponsored by the New Hampshire Humanities Council.

Why were children accused of witchcraft?

In the 17th century, many children were punished for alleged witchcraft, often due to their participation in Sabbats. It was believed that witches’ children inherited witchcraft from their parents, leading to charges against entire families. Accused witches often claimed they learned witchcraft from their parents. Pierre de Lancre and Francesco Maria Guazzo believed that having accused parents introduced children to Satan, Sabbats, married them to demons, or inspired them to have sex with Satan.

Many accused children became aggressive and threatened community members, reinforcing community beliefs that they were witches. The 16th century saw more child involvement in witchcraft hunts and accusations, leading to the persecution of children themselves as witches. Children admitted to witchcraft, accusing teachers and mentors, leading to children being accused themselves by the 17th century.

Who was the last woman to be hung as a witch?

Janet Horne, also known as ‘Janet Horne’, was the last person in Britain to be tried and executed for witchcraft in 1727. She and her daughter were arrested and jailed in Dornoch, where they were accused of turning their daughter into a pony to carry out their witchcraft. The hooves were believed to be proof of their witchcraft, as Janet had failed to completely return her daughter to human form.

Janet’s legal options were limited, and her trial was rushed through. Captain David Ross, the sheriff-depute of Sutherland, found both Janet and her daughter guilty and ordered their execution the following day. Janet, possibly showing signs of dementia, was confused by the events and was tarred and feathered before being paraded through Dornoch in a barrel.

When did people stop believing in witches?

Witch persecution in England reached its peak in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, but by the 18th century, witch trials and belief had significantly declined, particularly in elite circles. The traditional explanation for this shift is that the rise of rationality, scientific reasoning, and secular humanism was incompatible with “superstitious” witch belief. However, this explanation is flawed and contains several flawed assumptions. Firstly, enlightenment and post-enlightenment thinkers were more rational than previous periods.

Secondly, scientific discoveries led to disbelief in magic and witches. Thirdly, thinkers who sought to disprove witch existence used secular means. The author argues that elite English disbelief in witches was caused by a new mode of Anglican religious thought, which was engineered to promote a stable social order beneficial to elites.