The Salem Witch Trials Afflictions

In 1692, a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, began experiencing fits, contortions, and visions that they attributed to witchcraft. Their accusations launched the Salem witch trials, which resulted in the execution of twenty people and the death of several others.

The Beginning

In January 1692, Betty Parris, daughter of the village minister, and her cousin Abigail Williams began exhibiting strange behavior. They screamed, threw things, contorted their bodies, and claimed to be pinched and bitten by invisible forces. Other girls soon exhibited similar symptoms.

The Accusations

A local doctor diagnosed bewitchment. Under pressure, the girls named three women as their tormentors: Tituba, an enslaved woman; Sarah Good, a homeless beggar; and Sarah Osborne, an elderly woman who rarely attended church. Tituba confessed, embellishing her account with tales of the Devil and his servants.

The Epidemic

The afflictions spread. More girls became “afflicted,” and their accusations multiplied. They identified respected members of the community as witches. During trials, the girls would scream that the accused’s specter was attacking them, providing “spectral evidence” against the defendant.

The End

By fall 1692, skepticism grew, particularly about spectral evidence. Governor Phips dissolved the special court. The remaining accused were eventually released, and the colony later acknowledged the trials as a mistake.

Assessment

Whether the Salem afflictions were genuine possession, mass hysteria, or deliberate fraud remains debated. The girls’ role in the deaths of innocent people has made them either victims of supernatural forces or villains who exploited community fears for personal vengeance.