Salem witch trials

E150

The Salem witch trials were a series of infamous 1692–1693 prosecutions in colonial New England where mass hysteria and superstition led to the execution and imprisonment of people accused of witchcraft.

All labels observed (17)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (82)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical event
mass hysteria event
witch trial
accusationType covenant with the Devil
witchcraft
aftermath Massachusetts colonial legislature
surface form: Massachusetts granted compensation to some victims and heirs

Massachusetts later declared the trials unlawful
public apologies were issued by some participants and the colony
broaderContext Early modern witch hunts
Puritanism
surface form: Puritan New England society
causeOfDeathOfGilesCorey pressing
country Colonial America
courtInvolved Court of Oyer and Terminer
Court of Oyer and Terminer
surface form: Superior Court of Judicature
culturalDepiction The Crucible
numerous books, plays, and films
endTime 1693
evidenceTypeUsed confessions
spectral evidence
testimony of afflicted girls
touch test
fieldOfStudy American history
gender studies
legal history
religious history
firstAccused Sarah Good
Sarah Osborne
Tituba
governingAuthority Massachusetts Bay Colony
surface form: Province of Massachusetts Bay
governorAction Governor William Phips dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692
Governor William Phips eventually pardoned many accused
Governor William Phips later prohibited further arrests for witchcraft
hasPart Court of Oyer and Terminer
surface form: Court of Oyer and Terminer trials

Salem Village examinations
Court of Oyer and Terminer
surface form: Superior Court of Judicature trials
hasTheme breakdown of due process
fear of the Devil
religious extremism
scapegoating
keyFigure Ann Putnam Jr.
Cotton Mather
Giles Corey
Governor William Phips
Increase Mather
Rebecca Nurse
Samuel Parris
Thomas Putnam
Tituba
languageOfRecords English
legalBasis English colonial law
location Massachusetts Bay Colony
Salem, Massachusetts
surface form: Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony
longTermImpact became a symbol of injustice and mass hysteria
increased skepticism about spectral evidence
influenced American views on due process
mainLocationWithinSalem Salem Village (now Danvers, Massachusetts)
mainMethodOfExecution hanging
memorial Salem Village (now Danvers, Massachusetts)
surface form: Rebecca Nurse Homestead memorial in Danvers, Massachusetts

Salem Witch Trials Memorial in Salem, Massachusetts
notableVictim Elizabeth Howe
George Burroughs
George Jacobs Sr.
Giles Corey
John Proctor
Martha Corey
Mary Easty
Rebecca Nurse
Sarah Good
Susannah Martin
numberOfPeopleAccused more than 150
over 200
numberOfPeopleExecuted 20
numberOfPeopleExecutedByHanging 19
numberOfPeoplePressedToDeath 1
precededBy European witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries
primaryReligionOfAccusers Puritan
primaryReligionOfAuthorities Puritan
religiousContext Puritanism
secondaryLocationWithinSalem Salem, Massachusetts
surface form: Salem Town
startTime 1692
timePeriod late 17th century
triggerEvent strange fits and convulsions of young girls in Salem Village

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (168)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Thomas Carrier spouseDeathEvent Salem witch trials
this entity surface form: Salem witch trials executions
Andrew Carrier associatedWithEvent Salem witch trials
nonfiction book "The Heretic's Daughter" (fictionalized account based on her life) literarySetting Salem witch trials
subject surface form: The Heretic's Daughter
nonfiction book "The Heretic's Daughter" (fictionalized account based on her life) basedOn Salem witch trials
subject surface form: The Heretic's Daughter
nonfiction book "The Heretic's Daughter" (fictionalized account based on her life) portraysEvent Salem witch trials
subject surface form: The Heretic's Daughter
Gedney participatedIn Salem witch trials
subject surface form: Bartholomew Gedney
Putnam family notableIn Salem witch trials
Ann Putnam Sr. participatedIn Salem witch trials
Ann Putnam Sr. accuserIn Salem witch trials
The Witches: Salem, 1692 mainSubject Salem witch trials
John Wildes hasRoleInEvent Salem witch trials
Elizabeth Sheaf marriedToJudgeInvolvedIn Salem witch trials
Elizabeth Sheaf associatedWithEvent Salem witch trials
Edward Putnam participatedIn Salem witch trials
Edward Putnam associatedWith Salem witch trials
this entity surface form: Salem witchcraft accusations
Roger Toothaker participantIn Salem witch trials
Stacy Madeleine Schiff notableSubject Salem witch trials