Salem Witch Trials Was One Of The Products Of Mass Hysteria In 1692

The Salem Witch Trials was one of the products of mass hysteria in 1692. This gave me a curious question, how did the Salem Witch Trials start and end? The current events that were happening around Salem and the emergence of the belief of supernatural powers, specifically ones to harm others. Many girls were diagnosed with bewitchment which started the mass hysteria. The trials last for quite a while, with 151 hangings during that time. The end of the Salem witch trials concluded with the trials being unlawful.

Let’s start at the beginning, witch hunts began in the as early as the 14th century between the years 1300 and 1330; due to the belief of supernatural emerging, especially in the devil's practice of giving people powers to harm others.

In a quote from Britannica state “Betty and Abigail claimed to have been bewitched by Tituba and two other marginalized members of the community, neither of whom attended church regularly.” (Jeff Wallenfeldt). Tituba was accused of bewitching these girls. On the other hand the other two girls; but the other two who were accused were Sarah Good and Sarah osborne. All three were brought up to the magistrates Jonathen Corwin and John Hawthorne, tituba confessed but the others didn't, tituba told that others in the community were alongside with her in the acting of the devil’s work as state in this quote “she claimed there were other witches acting alongside her in service of the devil against the Puritans.” (history.com Editors. The mass hysteria started to spread, to the point where they accused some that were really good members of the church. On May 27th, 1692, the governor of Massachusetts, Sir William Phillips put up an official court up to hear and to decide on these witch trials.on june 2nd, the first conviction occurred but time later, they were hanged. After the first hanging, 5 more were hanged in that recent month. A quote from PBS states “ Ultimately, more than 150 “witches” were taken into custody; by late September 1692, 20 men and women had been put to death, and five more accused had died in jail. None of the executed confessed to witchcraft. Such a

A quote from britannica states “That month, Samuel Sewall, one of the judges, publicly acknowledged his own error and guilt in the proceedings.” (Jeff Wallenfeldt). One of the judges acknowledged his own errors and guilt about the Salem witch trials. On October 29th, the Salem witch trials ended, many of the accused had been let free of jail. One of PBS quotes states “When the dust cleared, the townsfolk and the accusers were at a loss to explain their own actions.” (PBS). people were at a loss of explanation about what they did to the accused after the trials died down. After the Trials, there was still a lingering thought on those trials. One quote from History.com was “The damage to the community lingered, however, even after Massachusetts Colony passed legislation restoring the good names of the condemned and providing financial restitution to their heirs in 1711.” (History.com Editors). Even after they passed legislation to try and restore the condemned and provide financial restitutions to the heirs, the community was still