Friday, October 28, 2016

Salem Witch History

Good evening everyone.
Happy TGIF!
Does anyone have a bucket list of places
they would like to visit?
One of mine is definitely Salem, MA
in October...maybe next year.

I have always been interested in 
the sad event which were the Salem Witch Trials.
So today I am going to give you 
some questions with answers below.
See if you get these correct.


1. What year did the Salem witch trials take place?
2. What event launched the inquisition?
3.  Were men accused of practicing witchcraft?
4.  How many people were convicted and put to death?
5. What role did the slave Tituba play in the witch craze?
6. How did they determine if you were a witch or not?
7. How old was the youngest person accused?
8. How long did the witch trials last?
9. Were those convicted burned at the stake?
10. What happened to the heirs of those execute?
11. Did you know there was a Mayflower connection?
Were animals also considered witches?


Answers:

1. 1692

2. Young girls seemed to be possessed and started 
speaking in different tonques.

3. Yes

4. 19 were executed. 5 others died in jail.

5. Tituba was the first women accused of being a witch.
She introduced Reverend Paris' daughters to voodoo.
The elders thought because of this she had to be a witch.
In 1976, Science Magazine found that fungus
ergot found in wheat, rye and cereals can cause
symptoms such as delusions, vomiting 
and muscle spasms according to Toxologists.
(what was probably the real reason why the girls
acted out of sorts)

6. Defendents were asked to touch an affect person
to see if their behavior changed.

7.  4 years old. Dorcus Goode was the youngest
of the Salem witches to be accused. and imprisoned.
Her mother was also accused. Dorcus was released
from jail after her mother was hanged.

8. 7 months. The final hanging 
was on September 22, 1692 and the court was dissolved
in October of that year.

9.  No, with English law witchcraft was a felony
punishable by hanging. However in Europe
witchcraft was considered herecy by the church
and was punishable by burning at the stake.

10. John Alden's son, Captain John Alden Jr
was accused by a child on a trip from Canada back to Boston
while going through Salem. He spent 15 weeks in jail 
before friends broke him out and he escaped back
to New York. He was later exonerated.

11. Two dogs were killed after being suspected of
being witches.

How many questions did you get correct?
Hope you enjoyed a bit of history.
Only 3 more days until Halloween!

Pre Halloween Blessings To All!
Janice


5 comments:

  1. Interesting I knew a few of them but not all of them.
    Cathy

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  2. Good history lesson! I've never been into witches, but it is so intriguing! Sad that if you even looked at someone the wrong way they could accuse you of witchcraft!

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  3. I visited Salem many years ago. It's a great place to visit any time of the year! Every year I put out my corn husk doormat that I purchased there. I have read many books on the witch trials...most recently The Witches by Stacy Schiff. Great stuff!
    Robyn

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  4. Happy Saturday Dear Janice....Yes, visiting Salem is on my bucket list as well...have tentative plans to go next September. It, and the witch trials, pull especially hard on my heartstrings as my grandmother (7x removed), and her sister (my aunt, also 7x removed) were both hanged as witches there. (Mary Eastey and Rebecca Nurse... Another aunt (Mary's and Rebecca's sister, Sara Cloyce, and Sara's husbanc, were also accused/arrested, but escaped execution.) I've probably read more about the trials and that time in history than anyone should..... Smiles & Witchy Hugs ~ Robin

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  5. This was a great pre-Halloween history lesson and a scary reality too!! I visited Salem a while ago but did not have enough time there to really get a good tour with all the information. Thank-you for sharing this important story. By the way, that little witch is absolutely totes adorb!!

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