What really happened at the Salem witch trials?

The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than two hundred people were accused. Thirty were found guilty, nineteen of whom were executed by hanging (fourteen women and five men).

How many years did the Salem witch trials last?

one year

Was Salem the only witch trials?

However, by the time Salem’s witch trials started in 1692, Connecticut—the only colonial American place other than Salem with a significant track record of witch trials and executions—was already winding down its half-century of persecution.

When did witchcraft become legal?

Nineteen men and women were executed by hanging, one was killed by torture, and others died in prison. In October 1692, the governor dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer, and in December 1692, the General Court passed An Act against Conjuration, Witchcraft, and Dealing with Evil and Wicked Spirits.

What was the first Salem witch trial?

In June 1692, the special Court of Oyer and Terminer [“to hear and to decide”] convened in Salem under Chief Justice William Stoughton to judge the accused. The first to be tried was Bridget Bishop of Salem, who was accused of witchcraft by more individuals than any other defendant.

How many witches were burned at the stake in America?

Thirteen women and two men were executed. The Salem witch trials followed in 1692–93, culminating in the executions of 20 people.

Who burned at the stake?

In 1555 the Protestant bishops Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and John Hooper were condemned as heretics and burned at the stake in Oxford, England. Burning at the stake was a traditional form of execution for women found guilty of witchcraft.

How many witches were killed in Germany?

In Germany, an estimated 40,000 “witches” were burned alive.