The Salem Witch Trials

When William Griggs, the village doctor in colonial Salem Village (now Salem), Massachusetts, couldn't heal the ailing daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris, he claimed the girls had been bewitched. Thus began the infamous Salem Witch hunt that remains one of America's great tragedies. Soon girl in Salem and surrounding communities were "crying out" the names of "Witches" who had supposedly caused their illnesses.

Between June and October of 1692, nineteen men and women  were hung and another man was crushed to death for the crime of Witchcraft. More than 150 other victims were thrown into prison, where several died, on charges of being in league with the devil.

Religious and political factors combined to create the Witch Craze in Salem. A recent smallpox epidemic and attacks by nearby Indian tribes had left the community deeply fearful. 

The hysteria also enabled local authorities to rid the community of undesirables and dissidents. Economic interests, too, played a role in the condemnation of Salem's "Witches" - those convicted had their assets confiscated and their property was added to the town's coffers. A number of the executed and accused women owned property and were not governed by either husbands or male relatives.