The Witches of Salem

The trials of Salem Witch calls were conducted between 1692 and 1693 in Massachusetts.
More than 200 people were suspected of practicing witchcraft or black magic in the
village of Salem.
Of these 19 were executed by hanging, four died in prison and an octogenarian died from
torture, when they smashed with rocks to confess his alleged guilt.
In January, Betty Parris, daughter of Pastor Samuel Parris and Abigail, niece of religious,
presented a case of strange behavior, screaming, throwing things, getting into weird
positions and speaking gibberish. Another girl named Ann Putnam, from the most
influential families of the people, also showed the same behavior.
A doctor diagnosed the place that actions were caused by supernatural forces.
In late February, the girls said three women were the cause of his grief Tituba, a slave of
Reverend Parris; Sarah Osborne, an elderly woman; and Sarah Goode, a homeless and
begging.
On March, the three women were questioned for days. Osborne Goode and pleaded not
guilty, not Tituba. The three were detained in jail. Goode's daughter, aged four, was also
interrogated and taken to jail with her mother.
Gradually the strange behavior manifested in greater numbers of children and
adolescents, who claimed the existence of witches flying on broom handle, the presence
of ghosts and several residents accused of crimes and pacts with the devil.
Those who criticized the trials, and had doubts about the veracity of the accusations
were charged in turn and sometimes hanged.
The judgments were based on alleged evidence without proof, until Massachusetts
Governor William Phips returned from a trip to England and appointed a new court to
hear the cases of witchcraft.
The chief judge of the court was William Stoughton, known as witch hunter.
They terminate Juci
But the educated elite of the colony began to show signs of discomfort with the growing
hysteria and increased charges respectable people all lights. Publications began to
appear that questioned the procedure, as Increase Mather's work titled America's first
tract on evidence in which it stated that it was better to have witches out of jail innocent
unjustly punished. Also the Rev. Samuel Willard of Boston, well respected, circulated the
idea that the Devil sometimes constructed spectra without the consent of these.
Finally the governor excluded the testimony based on spectral visions, so that the
"evidence" against the remaining defendants were without effect.
Les was granted freedom and errors of judgment were recognized.
What happened after
One of the judges, Samuel Sewall made a confession of guilt. Several witnesses said they
had acted impulsively.

The main promoter of the trials and hangings, Judge Stoughton, stood firm and never
looked back. It was the next governor of the colony.

LAS BRUJAS DE SALEM

Los juicios a las llamadas Brujas de Salem fueron conducidos entre 1692 y 1693 en
Massachusetts. Ms de 200 personas fueron sospechosas de practicar brujera o magia
negra en el pueblo de Salem.
De ellas 19 fueron ejecutadas en la horca, cuatro murieron en la crcel y un octogenario
muri a causa de torturas, cuando lo aplastaron con piedras para que confesara su
supuesta culpa.
En el mes de enero, Betty Parris, la hija del pastor Samuel Parris y Abigail, sobrina del
religioso, presentaron un caso de extraa conducta, con gritos, arrojando cosas,
ponindose en extraas posiciones y hablando en jerigonza. Otra chica, llamada Ann
Putnam, proveniente de la familia ms influyente del pueblo, tambin present el mismo
comportamiento.
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A finales de febrero, las chicas dijeron que tres mujeres eran las causantes de su mal:
Tituba, una esclava del Reverendo Parris; Sarah Osborne, una mujer mayor; y Sarah
Goode, una desamparada y mendiga.
El primero de marzo, las tres mujeres fueron interrogadas durante das. Osborne y Goode
se declararon inocentes, no as Tituba. Las tres fueron detenidas en la crcel. La hija de
Goode, de cuatro aos, tambin fue interrogada y llevada a la crcel junto a su madre.
Poco a poco la conducta extraa se manifest en mayor nmero de nias y adolescentes,
quienes afirmaron la existencia de brujas que volaban en el mango de escobas,
presencia de espectros y acusaron a varios residentes de crmenes y pactos con el
diablo.
Aquellos que criticaban los juicios, y tenan dudas de la veracidad de las acusaciones
eran acusados a su vez y en algunos casos colgados en la horca.
Los juicios se basaban en supuestos testimonios sin pruebas, hasta que el gobernador
de Massachusetts William Phips regres de un viaje a Inglaterra y nombr a una nueva
corte para escuchar los casos de brujera.
El juez principal de la corte fue

William Stoughton, conocido como cazador de brujas.

Terminan los jucios

Pero la lite ms culta de la colonia comenz a dar muestras de incomodidad ante la
creciente histeria y el aumento de las acusaciones a personas a todas luces respetables.
Comenzaron a surgir publicaciones que ponan en duda el procedimiento, como la obra
de Increase Mather titulada America's first tract on evidence en la que se afirmaba que
era mejor tener brujas fuera de la crcel que inocentes castigados injustamente.

Asimismo el reverendo de Boston Samuel Willard, muy respetado, circul la idea de que
el Diablo en ocasiones construa espectros de personas sin el consentimiento de estas.
Finalmente el gobernador excluy los testimonios basados en visiones espectrales, con
lo que las pruebas contra los restantes acusados quedaron sin efecto.
Les fue otorgada la libertad y se reconocieron los errores de los juicios.
Qu pas despus
Uno de los jueces, Samuel Sewall hizo una confesin de culpabilidad. Varios testigos
dijeron que haban actuado impulsivamente.
El principal promotor de los juicios y ahorcamientos, el juez Stoughton, se mantuvo firme
y nunca se arrepinti. Fue el prximo gobernador de la colonia.