The Salem witch trials

Background

Further information: 

While witch trials had begun to fade out across much of Europe by the mid-17th century, they continued on the fringes of Europe and in the American Colonies. The events in 1692/1693 in Salem became a brief outburst of a sort of hysteria in the New World, while the practice was already waning in most of Europe.

In 1668, in Against Modern Sadducism, claimed that he could prove the existence of witches and ghosts of the supernatural realm. Glanvill wrote about the "denial of the bodily resurrection, and the [supernatural] spirits."

In his treatise, Glanvill claimed that ingenious men should believe in witches and apparitions; if they doubted the reality of spirits, they not only denied demons but also the almighty God. Glanvill wanted to prove that the supernatural could not be denied; those who did deny apparitions were considered, for it also disproved their beliefs in angels. Works by men such as Glanvill and tried to prove that "demons were alive."

Accusations

The trials were started after people had been accused of witchcraft, primarily by teenage girls such as, 17, as well as some who were younger. was four or five years old when she was accused of witchcraft. Recorded witchcraft executions in New England. The earliest recorded witchcraft execution was that of in 1647 in. Historian Clarence F. Jewett included a list of other people executed in New England in his 1881 book

Recorded witchcraft executions in New England

The earliest recorded witchcraft execution was that of in 1647. Historian Clarence F. Jewett included a list of other people executed in New England in his 1881 book.

Political context

New England had been settled by religious dissenters seeking to build a Bible-based society according to their own chosen discipline. The original 1629 of the was vacated in 1684, after which installed Sir as the governor of the . Andros was after the "" in England replaced the Catholic James II with the Protestant co-rulers and . and , the colony's last leaders under the old charter, resumed their posts as governor and deputy governor, but lacked constitutional authority to rule because the old charter had been vacated.

A new charter for the enlarged was given final approval in England on October 16, 1691. had been working on obtaining the charter for four years, with often joining him in London and helping him gain entry to Whitehall. Increase Mather had published a book on witchcraft in 1684 and his son published one in 1689. Increase Mather brought out a London edition of his son's book in 1690. Increase Mather claimed to have picked all the men to be included in the new government. News of Mather's charter and the appointment of Phips as the new governor had reached Boston by late January, and a copy of the new charter reached Boston on February 8, 1692. Phips arrived in Boston on May 14 and was sworn in as governor two days later, along with Lieutenant Governor . One of the first orders of business for the new governor and council on May 27, 1692, was the formal nomination of county , , and the commission of a Special Court of Oyer and Terminer to handle the large numbers of people who were "thronging" the jails. Local contextA map of , 1692. Salem Village (present-day ) was known for its fractious population, who had many internal disputes, and for disputes between the village and Salem Town (present-day ). Arguments about property lines, grazing rights, and church privileges were rife, and neighbors considered the population as "quarrelsome." In 1672, the villagers had voted to hire a minister of their own, apart from Salem Town. The first two ministers, James Bayley (1673–79) and (1680–83), stayed only a few years each, departing after the congregation failed to pay their full rate. (Burroughs was subsequently arrested at the height of the witchcraft hysteria and was hanged as a witch in August 1692.)

Despite the ministers' rights being upheld by the General Court and the parish being admonished, each of the two ministers still chose to leave. The third minister, (1684–88), stayed for a short time, leaving after the church in Salem refused to ordain him—and therefore not over issues with the congregation. The parish disagreed about Salem Village's choice of as its first ordained minister. On June 18, 1689, the villagers agreed to hire Parris for £66 annually, "one third part in money and the other two third parts in provisions," and use of the parsonage. On October 10, 1689, however, they raised his benefits, voting to grant him the deed to the parsonage and two acres (0.8 hectares) of land. This conflicted with a 1681 village resolution which stated that "it shall not be lawful for the inhabitants of this village to convey the houses or lands or any other concerns belonging to the Ministry to any particular persons or person: not for any cause by vote or other ways". Though the prior ministers' fates and the level of contention in Salem Village were valid reasons for caution in accepting the position, Rev. Parris increased the village's divisions by delaying his acceptance. He did not seem able to settle his new parishioners' disputes: by deliberately seeking out "iniquitous behavior" in his congregation and making church members in good standing suffer public penance for small infractions, he contributed significantly to the tension within the village. Its bickering increased unabated. Historian suggests that, in this atmosphere, serious conflict may have been inevitable.