Surviving History: Salem Witch Trials

Surviving History: Salem Witch Trials — page 1 — During the Middle Ages thousands of people were killed in Europe for being witches 4 Introduction

Surviving History: Salem Witch Trials — page 2 — Salem is in Massachusetts It’s a little north of Boston In 1692 there were two main areas One area was Salem Village It was a farming area It was on the northern edge of Salem Town Salem Town was the other main area It was closer to the Atlantic Coast It was a port It was a busy city It was a fishing area The two towns were rivals Rivals are enemies In 1692 people believed in witches They lived hard lives They feared attacks from Native Americans They feared starving Starving is dying from hunger Winters were cold and harsh People were mistrustful They were scared They were unsure of their futures They blamed the devil for weird things that were happening to people 5

Surviving History: Salem Witch Trials — page 3 — People thought the devil was causing the fighting between Salem Village and Salem Town 6

Surviving History: Salem Witch Trials — page 4 — The Salem Witch Trials began in June 1692 Trials are formal examinations of evidence Evidence is proof Over 200 women men and children were accused of witchcraft Witchcraft is the practice of magic Trials were held to decide if the charges against them were true In 1693 William Phips was the governor His wife was accused of being a witch So he ordered the arrests to stop The Salem Witch Trials ended in May 1693 The Salem Witch Trials were the deadliest witch hunt in U S history Twenty people were executed Executed means put to death Four others died in jail while waiting for a trial 7

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