You don't really need to be a fan of horror films to know of the Salem witch trials. The horrific reality is of course, etched in history. But what this dark chapter of America's early days truly represents as a lesson is the perils and ills of unchecked, deluded mob mentality. Add to that elements of the inexplicable, and you have yourselves an absolute disaster.
But what exactly happened which wrecked the already veil-thin peace of the rural American community, just 66 odd years after its settlement?
Right off the bat, Salem's terrains placed its inhabitants at a natural disadvantage. Surrounded by the jungles on three sides and by the ocean on the fourth, the tepid and religious lot was already living in fear of plunder and destruction. Add to this the constant Sunday sermons making all aware of the Devil and his ways, hiding in plain sight.
Soon enough a perceived manifestation of this raised its head. 9-year old Betty Paris and 11-year old Abigail Williams, the daughter and niece of the Priest Paris, began having violent fits which eventually descended into the horrifying imagery of them barking. A priest and a doctor reached many a conclusion, but the truth was that the girls had indulged in the ancient divination ritual of 'umancy'. What was supposed to be a harmless ritual involving an egg and a mirror which was supposed to help the girls catch a reflection of their future husbands, clearly misfired spinning a thickening yarn of accusations. The first to be crushed were of course the defenseless, with the family's slave, a homeless beggar and an elderly poor woman being accused. In a bid to save her skin, Tituba, the family's slave, testified to instances which strongly implied that the other two were practicing the dark arts. Her made-up tale also hinted at other witches raising their heads in Salem. The literal mother of all witch hunt's began with hysteria reaching a point where even a 5-year old was arrested. The trials rid of any rationale followed the simple rule of 'guilty if accused'. So if the accused plead guilty, they got jail time. If they plead innocent, they got death. Confused? The Puritans considered lying among the greatest sins.
It took generations for Salem to rise from its dark past and though the town has now come up to speed, nothing really can rid the global association of its name with witch trials. None the less, some semblance of justice was restored back in 2001 when Massachusetts officially exonerated five women who were wrongly accused and executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692.
{{/usCountry}}It took generations for Salem to rise from its dark past and though the town has now come up to speed, nothing really can rid the global association of its name with witch trials. None the less, some semblance of justice was restored back in 2001 when Massachusetts officially exonerated five women who were wrongly accused and executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692.
{{/usCountry}}The hollow nature of the witch hunt was evident enough in the fact that a year into the madness, the colonial governor called the whole thing off after learning that his own wife had been accused of witchcraft. This late tubelight moment however, didn't help the fates of the 20 that were executed, mostly by hanging, save for one who was pressed with stones to death.
That being said, the hysteria may have passed in reality, but still lives on in essence.