How Did Giles Cory Trial

Mary Beth Norton (2002) explains that new accusations of witchcraft would spread beyond Salem’s outcasts and onto more respected members of society. Typically witchcraft was viewed as a working- class crime, but soon two upstanding Salem church members, Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse, were accused. Rebecca Nurse was one of six women tried during the Court of Oyer and Terminer’s second sitting, from June 28th to July 2nd. Her trial proved to be particularly shocking. Nurse was convicted despite a petition of support from thirty-nine friends and neighbors, and active family efforts to discredit her accusers. Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, and three others would eventually be hanged for witchcraft on July 19th.

In August the third trials were held where of the accused was Reverend George Burroughs. For many observers it was hard to believe that a Puritan minister could be a follower of Satan. However others believed Burroughs was the

David C. Brown (1985) recounts the details of how Giles Cory was pressed to death on September 19th. Cory pled not guilty but remained silent when asked if he would accept a trial in front of a jury. His failure to speak brought the proceedings to a halt. After several days the court decided to use its legal right at attempting to literally press an answer out of him. Although the court had the right under common law to deal with Cory as it did, it seemed to many to be a harsh and increasingly arbitrary act of enforcing authority. Of those who confessed to being a witch, not one would be executed. All fifty-five people who confessed survived the crisis. Only those who refused to confess were put to death. All twenty-eight people to be tried by the Court of Oyer and Terminer would plead not guilty but would be found guilty and then put to death. Of those twenty-eight people, nine received temporary stays of execution due to pregnancy or to have time to prepare their