THE AFTERMATH TO THE WITCH HYSTERIA OF 1692

In 1689, a congregation was formed under the Reverend Samuel Parris. The Rev. Samuel Parris had a small family consisting of his wife, his nine-year-old daughter, Betty, and a twelve-year-old niece, Abigail Williams, who was an orphan. Abigail was expected to earn her keep by doing most of the household chores, and also care for her invalid aunt. Betty's poor health prevented her from helping with the household chores, so much of them became Abigail's responsibility. After chores were done, there was little entertainment for Betty and Abigail. Salem Town was eight miles away, and Boston was a twenty-mile journey. During the winter months many of the villagers read to pass the time. There was an interest in books about prophecy and fortune telling throughout New England during the winter of 1691-92 (Zeinert, 14).

A lot of these books appealed to the younger generation of Salem. In Essex County girls form

The first accused witches had all been denied just expectations. The community of Salem Village was itself disinherited. It no longer prospered as it had during the first and second generations. With the coming of cultural change during the seventeenth century it no longer embodied the values of a wider society. Its self-respect was destroyed as it was gradually stripped of social identity and moral authority (Hill, 217). Not only the accused and confessed witches suffered though. During the winter of ninety two to ninety three there was a shortage of food in the village. Farmers had been so busy attending the hearings and trials that many didn’t pay much attention to their crops (Zeinert, 86). During the aftermath there were two groups, those who showed remorse and those who didn’t. Zealous accusers never expressed any regret. They stood by their actions. The Putnams, who were the most vicious, died in sixteen ninety nine (Kallen, 84). Other villagers tried to set aside days for remembering the dead by fasting or with prayer. Outside Salem, laws in other villages being changed also remembered the dead. Witchcraft would no longer be listed as a crime punishable by death. Although this did not right the wrong that was done it may very well have prevented and further tragedies (Zeinert, 88).

eloquent minister named George Burroughs. A forgiving grandfather

All were victims of the Salem witchcraft hysteria, either due to hanging, being pressed to death, or indirectly dying in jail from the horrible prison conditions (Fremon, 110). One hundred and fifty people languished in prison and about two hundred more stood accused of witchcraft (Kallen, 80). Several lost their sanity in prison (Zeinert, 85). Looking back at the catastrophic events that took place in the year 1692, the question arises, how did it finally end? While the accusations may have stopped abruptly, the number of those accused was so immense that the final resolution didn’t come until much later. The damage was just too much to clean up in a matter of days. Instead the tedious project came to an end many years later when final restitution was at last received.

In seventeen two the fist petition asking for formal pardons of all those convicted, including those who were hanged, was presented to the Massachusetts House of Representatives (Kallen, 82). The first pleas weren’t for financial reimbursement but rather reinstatement of character. For years, despite all the petitions, nothing was done. Finally in October of seventeen ten, the general court passed an act reversing the convictions of those for whom their families had pleaded (Hill, 205). A year later on December seventeenth, seventeen eleven, the petitioning relatives were granted a total of five hundred and seventy eight pounds and twelve shillings. The largest amount went to he Proctors since John Proctor was the most prosperous of those who were executed. It went down in order from there (Hill, 206).

Some topics in this essay:
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