Salem witch trials how many people died

Watching his wife withstand the heated examination was bad enough, but suddenly the tenor of the questions changed. Slowly, John realized that the questions the judge fired at his wife were more about his behavior than hers. Proctor had spoken out vehemently against the trials—he thought the accusers were liars and had even beaten one of his servants for displaying what the town interpreted as signs of witchcraft.

Depiction of the Salem Witch trials by Joseph E. Baker, published Credit: H. No fewer than six men were convicted and executed. Whatever the cause, mass hysteria—a collective phenomenon in which a group experiences delusions, fear and perceived threat—seems to have been part of the mix.

For the most part, the men of Salem Village were involved in blaming, trying, and convicting the young women whose unusual behavior and outlandish accusations were at the heart of the trials. But soon, men like Proctor were among those being accused, sometimes by neighbors who had longstanding resentments against them. Take George Burroughs. The athletic Puritan minister had borrowed money from the Putnams, a local family, and took years to pay back his loan.

Though he did repay it, the rivalry with the family continued and Burroughs moved out of Salem. In effect, the Salem Witch Trials were over. Historians and sociologists have examined this most complex episode in our history so that we may understand the issues of that era and view subsequent events with heightened awareness.

Bridget Bishop, Hanged, June 10, Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archives. Roach Jul 22, Salem Witch Museum. The Witch House. Witch Dungeon Museum. Witch History Museum. Witch Trials Memorial. Salem Witch Trials of Over people were accused of witchcraft, most were jailed, and many deprived of property and legal rights. Accused persons lived in the town of Salem and Salem Village now Danvers and in two dozen other towns in eastern Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Nearly fifty people confessed to witchcraft, most to save themselves from immediate trial.