History Salem Notes

How did the Salem Witch Court decide who was a witch?

Court Of Oyer-Terminer -allowed spectral evidence -the only time spectral evidence is allowed in this country -guaranteed person found guilty

What happened to people convicted of witchcraft?

-Punishment is hanging-No one is burned at the stake-One man dies of torture

How did the Salem Witch Trials end?

-the Salem Trials take place during the summer of 1692-the Governor Sir William Phipps was gone during summer, disbanded Court of Oyer-Terminer-the court formed in 1692 did not allow spectral evidence, no one else was convicted and the convicted in jail were pardoned by Governor

What's a witch hunt?

-Salem Witch Trials are an example of a witch hunt-People of Salem scared by "bewitched" girls, look for the witches doing the bewitching to punish them, in hopes life will go back to normal-fear + trigger = scapegoat-fear grows, caused by trigger, people look for one or a group people to blame (the scapegoats)- U.S. treatment of Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor [U.S. scared by Pearl Harbor (trigger), blame Japanese-Americans (scapegoats)]

What was a witchcake?

-no medicines would work on "bewitched" girls-someone suggested Tituba bake a "witchcake" made from rye and the afflicted girls urine to discover witches-the cake was fed to a dog-priest is angry about using the devil's methods to discover who was a witch; says it should be handled by the church

How did Halloween begin?

-Samhain= old holiday that morphed into Halloween- October 31st= the veil between physical world and spectral world is very thin-Celebrated with bonfires and feasts-People carve turnips and put candles in them (this started jack-o-lanterns)-"Evil women" (witches)= off in woods, making potions that could harm people

Video On Salem Witch Trials

-a small girl fell sick in 1692; had "outbursts"- convulsions, gibberish- more girls developed same symptoms-the doctor had one explanation: Witchcraft-From February to May, Salem settlers are examined for witchcraft-Bridget Bishop: First to be tried and convicted of witchcraft, hanged June 10, 1692-Giles Cory: Refuses to be tried, dies under torture (pressing)