Salem Witches

Written by: Liany S. Mercado

Who were the Salem witches?

The Salem Witches is the notorious name placed upon the unfortunate women who were accused of witchcraft back in Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. Around 20 women, who had been accused of being witches by those who had supposedly bewitched them, were hanged and scorched by the townspeople of Massachusetts.

But the question is: how did the trials began in the first place, and how the hanging and scorching of so many innocent young women came to be?

Well, let’s meet Betty Parris and Abigail Williams, two young girls who played a bigger role in the trials than any other. In January 1692, Betty Parris, of nine years old and Abigail Williams, of eleven years old, began showing weird afflictions of symptoms such as barking, convulsing and speaking unintelligible words. Consumed by fear, Reverend Samuel Parris, the Puritan minister of Salem and Betty’s father, send out for the town’s doctor, who could not state any sign of illness. Because of that, Betty and Abigail accused Tituba, the enslaved women of the Parris household, of being a witch.

Now why was Tituba accused by the young girls?

Tituba was a woman of color who was an enslaved worker in the Parris household and who had tried to help Betty and Abigail after the girls had attempted to find out their fortune by playing a prohibited game. This was considered a grave sin in the Puritan religion, which caused Tituba to be scared and prepared the young girls a “witchcake”. It had all been done with good intentions, and yet Tituba had been accused by the frightened girls. Tituba was tortured by the Reverend until she confessed of supposedly being a witch and knowing of others in town who were also witches who served the devil himself.

A series of accusations were brought forward by other women, who claimed they also had been bewitched by said other witches. Around 200 women were scorched on spikes, every one of them having been innocent. As you study what historians have stated, you concluded that many of the women who were accused had been women either of high nobility (known of important families) or young girls who probably were unaware of the heaviness of their actions.

The Salem Witches’ tale began with something so simple and naïve, that used to the advantage of those who could benefit from it, created a chain of events that led to the death of many women. Its important to be aware of the heaviness and implements of one’s words, especially when done out of fear.

Can Abigail and Betty be held accountable for the actions that their lies put into motion?