In hindsight, the major political upheaval of the day combined with neighborly quarrels likely sparked the mass hysteria. 19 were hung, 5 died in jail, and one was pressed to death. By the time the outrage subsided, over 200 villagers stood accused of witchcraft. A flurry of accusations and trials would play out over the course of following year. Two little girls began behaving erratically, acts which town elders quickly deemed "witchcraft". Salem is perhaps best known for the Salem witch trials, which began during the winter of 1692. In 1686 Naumkeag survivors pressed their claim in court, and were given £20 (roughly $5,000 today) in payment for their land. Throughout the 17th century a series of wars and pogroms pushed them to the brink of extinction. Contact with early explorers was calamitous, and disease would shatter their society. Understand House of Seven Gables with a Salem harbor backdropįor thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, the Naumkeag people enjoyed life on this rocky peninsula. You know what they say, "time heals all wounds". The plan seems to have worked, tourists have responded and business is up. Today the "Witch City" plasters its civic institutions with witch silhouettes, they even built a baseball diamond atop Gallows Hill Park. So eventually they changed tack, leaning into the lore of witches and magic. Try as they might, the city was never able to memory hole the events of 1692. One of the most notorious cases of mass hysteria, the trials saw over 200 people charged with witchcraft, 25 of whom died as a direct result. However, one event in Salem's 400-year history looms above all else-the Salem witch trials. They're all here and vying for your attention. For other places with the same name, see Salem (disambiguation).Ī charming New England seaside destination, Salem offers visitors the requisite bevy of enthralling elements: a world-class museum, compelling oceanfront and maritime history, quirky shops and tempting restaurants.
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