When People Were Accused of Witchcraft and Executed
The Salem Witch Trial
The Salem Witch Trial is perhaps one of the most shameful trials in history. Hundreds of people were accused of being witches, and dozens of innocent people were sentenced to death without clear evidence. It all started when two children, who were the daughter and niece of the local village chief, screamed and raged uncontrollably, like a trance. This oddity was then experienced by other children in the village. The local doctor diagnosed them as victims of witchcraft!
How People Became Paranoid
A few centuries ago, there was a belief that the devil could give certain people some sort of magic power that could be used to harm others. In return, the person had to be willing to be faithful until the end of their life. You could say it was a kind of soul sale. This belief at least began to appear in Europe in the early 14th century and was widespread in colonial New England.
In 1689, the English rulers William and Mary started a war with France in the American colonies. The war devastated upstate New York, Nova Scotia, and Quebec, displacing people to Essex County, and in particular, Salem Village, located on Massachushetts Bay. Salem Village is now in Denver, Massachusetts.
