The Aftermath to the Witch Hysteria 1692

It is difficult to pinpoint an exact cause for the witch trials of 1692 because there are numerous factors and events that helped create and influence the trials. Some of the main reasons that sparked the uproar of witchcraft in Salem were, politics, religion, family disputes, economics, and the fears of those in the society.

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

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).

When autumn came about in the year 1692, the madness was getting way too out of control. As September turned to October more and more voices of reason and dissent were heard above the witch frenzy. The accusations were getting ridiculously out of hand (Kallen, 80). The girls afflicted by the “mysterious fits” hastened the process of bringing the insanity to an end by going beyond all bounds and believing they were invulnerable. They began to accuse the richest and most powerful members of the community. It came to an abrupt end after they accused Lady Phipps, the wife of Governor Sir William Phipps (Kallen, 80).

Since the property of the accused was often seized even before he trials began, some people had only their lives left. As a result those people couldn’t pay off their bills. They had to remain in jail, their bills getting bigger and bigger. They had to rely on others for help (Zeinert, 85). The first to be jailed and one of the last to be released was Tituba, the slave from Barbados owned by Reverend Parris (Le Beau, 207). Parris sold her to a man from Boston who took her back to the city to become a slave for him there (Zeinert, 85). Parris used the money from the sale to pay off her prison bill (Hill, 303).

A lot of the information about the afflicted girls is scarce, but there is a little information on two of them, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam. Abigail wasn’t liked very much by the community even before the trials began. She was a troublemaker characterized as mean spirited. Many people blamed her for starting the fortune telling sessions that led to so much trouble. During the aftermath, quite a few villagers labeled her as nothing more than a liar. She had liked the attention she got in sixteen ninety two so she continued to shock the villagers by becoming a prostitute among other things. The people who had supported and believed in her during the trials were very embarrassed and enraged by this (Zeinert, 86). It is possible that Abigail Williams suffered from an undiagnosed mental disorder. That could be why she acted out instead of marrying to escape unscathed, like many of the other girls who were accusers did (Kallen, 83).

generation of Salem. In Essex County girls formed close gatherings to practice the divinations and fortune telling they learned from their reading (Fremon, 22). Abigail, and two other girls joined together to meet and discuss the interesting books they read. Tituba, Rev. Parris' slave whom he bought while on a trip to Barbados, would often participate in the circle. She would entertain the others with stories of witchcraft, demons, and mystic animals. Other girls soon joined their circle in the evenings to listen to Tituba's tales and participate in fortune telling experiments (Zeinert, 16).

Betty Parris and Abigail Williams began to become upset and frightened with the results of their fortunes. It is speculated that their fear, mixed with the family financial and social difficulties, caused the girls to express themselves through interesting behavior. Samuel Parris believed this unnatural behavior to be an illness and asked Salem Villa

Some topics in this essay:
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