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 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
Puritan New England society
linked to: Puritanism
causeOfDeathOfGilesCorey pressing
country Colonial America
courtInvolved Court of Oyer and Terminer
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 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 trials
Salem Village examinations
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 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 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 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.

Massachusetts historicalEvent Salem witch trials
Massachusetts Bay Colony notableEvent Salem witch trials
Court of Oyer and Terminer significantEvent Salem witch trials
Court of Oyer and Terminer timePeriod 1692 Salem witchcraft panic
linked to: Salem witch trials
Rebecca Nurse conflict Salem witch trials
The Crucible mainSubject Salem witch trials
Salem Village knownFor Salem witch trials
Salem Village associatedEvent Salem witch trials of 1692
linked to: Salem witch trials
Puritanism associatedWithEvent Salem witch trials
Samuel Parris notableEvent Salem witch trials
Tituba participantIn Salem witch trials
Tituba gaveTestimonyIn Salem witchcraft examinations
linked to: Salem witch trials
Salem Witch Trials Memorial commemorates Salem witch trials
town of Salem (historical jurisdiction) eventLocation Salem witch trials of 1692–1693
linked to: Salem witch trials
Giles Corey participantIn Salem witch trials
Giles Corey historicalEvent Salem witch trials
Rebecca Nurse Homestead associatedWithEvent Salem witch trials
Rebecca Nurse Homestead category Salem witch trials
Elizabeth Howe participantIn Salem witch trials
Colonial Records of Massachusetts Bay subject Salem witch trials
Colonial America notableEvent Salem witch trials
William Phips significantEvent Salem witch trials
subject linked to: Governor William Phips
Ann Putnam Jr. participantIn Salem witch trials
Wonders of the Invisible World subject Salem witch trials
Wonders of the Invisible World claims Satan was actively attacking New England
linked to: Salem witch trials
Thomas Putnam participatedIn Salem witch trials
John Proctor event Salem witch trials
John Proctor victimOf Salem witch trials
Francis Nurse historicalEventInvolved Salem witch trials
Martha Corey partOfEvent Salem witch trials
Bridget Bishop event Salem witch trials
Bridget Bishop chargeBroughtBy Salem witchcraft court
linked to: Salem witch trials
Sarah Good participantIn Salem witch trials
Salem Village meetinghouse centralRoleIn Salem witch trials
Salem Village meetinghouse primarySettingOf 1692 Salem witch trials
linked to: Salem witch trials
William Stoughton participatedIn Salem witch trials
Samuel Sewall participantIn Salem witch trials
John Hathorne participantIn Salem witch trials
Province of Massachusetts Bay notableEvent Salem witch trials
George Burroughs event Salem witch trials
George Burroughs participantIn Salem witch trials
Susannah Martin participantIn Salem witch trials
George Jacobs Sr. participantIn Salem witch trials
Reverend John Hale associatedWithEvent Salem witch trials
Mary Easty participantIn Salem witch trials
Mary Easty notableWork Petition to the Court of Oyer and Terminer, 1692
linked to: Salem witch trials
Mary Easty historicalEvent 1692 Salem witch panic
linked to: Salem witch trials