The Salem witch trials of 1692 were a series of court trials and convictions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts.
The trials began in February of 1692, after a group of young girls in the village of Salem began exhibiting strange and inexplicable behavior, such as screaming, throwing fits, and accusing local women of witchcraft.
The girls claimed to be possessed by the devil, and the community became convinced that they were under attack by witches.
This led to a series of trials and convictions, in which more than 200 people were accused of witchcraft and 20 were executed.
The exact cause of the girls’ behavior and the subsequent witch hunt is not known, but it is believed to have been a combination of religious fervor, societal tensions, and personal grudges.
The following individuals were convicted of practicing witchcraft and were put to death as a result.
The majority of those executed were women, but men were also among the group.
The names of those executed are:
- Bridget Bishop
- Rebecca Nurse
- Sarah Good
- Elizabeth Howe
- Susannah Martin
- George Burroughs
- John Proctor
- George Jacobs Sr.
- Martha Carrier
- Mary Easty
- Alice Parker
- Ann Pudeator
- Margaret Scott
- Wilmott Redd
- Samuel Wardwell
- Mary Parker
- Abigail Faulkner
- Ann Foster
- Lydia Dustin
- Caleb Dustin
