Living and working in Salem, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to learn about the Witch Trials, up close and personal. I’ve been to most of the museums, visited historical sites, and read tons of literature about the trials. Here in Salem, we really have a rich and unique history, and I like to take advantage of that and indulge myself with learning about our tragic past. I’ve compiled a list of facts I didn’t know before coming here, and things many people don’t know about the Salem Witch Trials!
1.Nineteen people were hung at Gallows Hill.
Fourteen women and five men were hanged after being accused of practicing witchcraft. Two dogs were even hung, for supposedly giving people the evil eye!
2.The actual location of Gallows Hill.
For many years, we’ve believed the location of Gallows Hill to be where Gallows Hill Park in Salem is today. After re-examining maps and journals, historians believe the actual spot to be a parking lot behind Walgreens on Bridge Street.
3.The Witch Pit.
Witches were not allowed to be buried, because they were considered too unholy. Instead, their bodies were dumped into a crevice next to Gallows Hill, known as a witch pit. It was illegal to dig up dead bodies, but that did not stop some of the friends and families from retrieving their loved ones from the pit, and giving them a proper burial.
4.The Witch Hysteria started in Reverend Samuel Paris’s home.
The Reverend had a slave from Barbados, Tituba. She would tell the local girls tales of life in Barbados, and teach them about the art of voodoo and fortune telling.
5.There was a court used specifically for the Witch Trials.
Governor Phipps set up the court of “Oyer and Terminer” in May, 1692. This court was to be used only for hearing the witchcraft trials. “Oyer and Terminer” is Olde English for “to hear and determine”.
6.Yale was founded in 1701 and is a product of the Witch Trials.
Cotton Mather was an influential Puritan leader who was rumored to have dug up the body of George Burroughs, a man hanged for practicing witchcraft. Mather believed he could prove Burroughs was the devil, because his head was larger than normal. He believed he would become the next president of Harvard University, as his father, Increase Mather, was before him. But due to his involvement in the Witch Trials, Harvard wanted nothing to do with him. So Mather and some colleagues moved down to Connecticut and opened their own university, named after their primary investor, Elihu Yale.
7.Twenty-five people died in total.
Nineteen were hanged, five died in prison, and one man- Giles Cory- was crushed to death. His famous last words were “More weight,” when asked if he wanted to enter a plea regarding his being a witch.
8.The Witch Trials spread to 34 towns and villages in all.
Every town from Salem up to the New Hampshire border was impacted in some way. In fact, the town of Andover had more people accused of practicing witchcraft, but Salem had the most amount of people executed for it.
9.Nobody was burned at the stake.
That was a practice that happened in Europe, where witchcraft was considered heresy. Here in the colonies, witchcraft was a felony, punishable by hanging.
10.After thirteen months, the Witch Trials ended in 1693.
When Governor Phipps’s wife was accused of witchcraft, he disbanded the court of Oyer and Terminal, and pardoned all those awaiting trial and execution.
The best way to learn about the Salem Witch Trials though, is to come visit us for yourself!
