Birth of the Witch Trials — A Haunted Salem Story

[Transcript]

All right, do you have a place to sit or perhaps lean against? We're just one block away from the former home of Bridget Bishop. She lived just down Washington Street from here. We'll pass by her place later.

Bridget was accused of witchcraft by some of the young girls in April of 1692. Bridget may have been targeted because, again, she lived outside conventional social circles. At nearly 60 years old, she was on her third husband at the time, and the local gossip mill could be cruel. 

They'd already whispered that Bridget had a reputation of stealing eggs, scaring horses, and some say killing her first two husbands. At the end of May, Massachusetts Governor Phipps finally returned from England almost four months after the witchcraft accusations had begun. But the governor had a lot on his plate. 

There were Native American wars to the north and fighting between the French and the English. So to handle the witchcraft trials, he set up a special court in Salem called Oyer and Terminer. It translates to hear and determine and was a special court commissioned for serious criminal cases, especially treason or felony in England and colonial America.

Phipps assigned important community members, friends of his, to be the judges of this special court. And finally, in June of 1692, the trials began. They took place just a little further up the road from where we are right now. 

I'll point out the exact spot when we walk by it later. These hear and determine trials were hot, noisy, and crowded. Villagers weren't going to miss an opportunity to watch this spectacle.

The accused witches were led from the jails to Salem's townhouse, desperately hoping for mercy. Without lawyers, they were forced to defend themselves. Even worse, the use of spectral evidence was allowed.

That meant the accusers could merely say they had a vision that someone was a witch. This further escalated the trials into the realm of fantasy land because no real, valid proof of anything was needed. Meanwhile, the afflicted girls, including the first two to act out, Betty Parris and her cousin Abigail, were all brought into the courtroom in a group.

They were writhing and babbling and throwing fits, really putting on a show. And if one of the accused witches even so much as motioned at a girl, they would shout something like, she's attacking me. The overzealous crowd ate up the convincing theatrics as the accused stood by, humiliated.

Well, those on trial soon realized they had very few options. If they didn't confess to being witches, they'd be hanged. So in order to be spared by the court, they'd have to confess to being witches and show some remorse. 

In that case, the Puritan community believed the so-called witches would receive their punishment directly from God. They'd get to live, yes, but they'd be pariahs in the community. Everyone would continue to believe that they really were witches.

Good Lord, what would you do? Before I continue, let's start walking over to our next stop. As we walk, I'll tell you about two accused women who chose two different options. And I'll cover the first conviction in the witch trials. 

If you're facing the bewitched statue, continue straight toward Gulu Gulu and keep walking along Essex Street. Again, continue walking along the left-hand sidewalk of Essex Street and press play on marker number eight titled, Walk to the Ropes Mansion, the first conviction.