Tanya | Week 8 | When Salem Lost its Mind
The Salem Witch Trials, lasting from about January 1692 until May 1693, were a time of mass hysteria and tension. It all started when a group of girls in Salem, Massachusetts began having strange “fits,” which drove them to accuse many people in the village (mostly women) of causing these fits by “bewitching” them. Over a hundred people were casually labeled as “witches” and sent to trial, despite the fact that there was literally no evidence or any sort of proof to support these wild accusations.
Unless you count the “spectral evidence” that was accepted in these trials. An entire new court called the Court of Oyer and Terminer (oyer = “hear,” and terminer = “determine”) was created to handle the overwhelming amount of witchcraft accusations, and it became famous for allowing very questionable evidence into consideration, the most notable being spectral evidence, or seeing spirits in dreams or visions. People actually did have the sense to question the inclusion of spectral evidence and call it controversial, because it was possible that an innocent person’s body could’ve been taken hostage by an evil force, but that didn’t stop them from using it as a basis for accusing and executing innocent people.
According to the UChicago Library, in addition to the testimonies of victims claiming that they had physically witnessed acts of witchcraft, courts also implemented tests such as searching an accused woman’s body of “witch’s marks,” and the “touching test,” where the accused was deemed guilty if their touch was soothing to a girl who was actively having a fit.
Confessions from the accused themselves were also utilized as a method of conviction. Courts ostensibly maintained a sense of fairness, in the way that convictions could only be based on confessions involving torture if and only if the person accused provided the confession a second time under different conditions; if the confession was not restated by the accused, they would often be tortured even more in order for courts to get that confession after all (UChicago Library). It’s so reassuring to know that the legal system was so generous and benevolent, even back in the 1690s. Right?
Absolutely not. The Salem Witch Trials, particularly involving the Court of Oyer and Terminer, did not at all adhere to the “innocent until proven guilty” belief that America’s legal system prides itself on today. In fact, being sent to a witchcraft trial was basically seen as being enough proof that you were guilty of being a witch, because why would you be accused unless you truly were guilty? The protection of these people’s rights, as well as logic and basic critical thinking, as you can see, were clearly not much of a concern during these trials.
Additionally, accused witches were not allowed to have a lawyer or for that matter, anyone represent them in a trial. If they were believed to be guilty, then that was pretty much the end of the story.
The most tragic part of this all is that so much of it could have easily been avoided with the proper legal safeguards and rational thinking. This seems to be true of a lot of events in history, and it’s heartbreaking to think about how many lives could’ve been saved, and how many conflicts could have been avoided.
Hopefully, the Salem Witch Trials will serve as an effective reminder in the future that all people, even criminals, deserve to be guaranteed the most basic rights, and that fear by itself is definitely not a sufficient reason to blame others for our own struggles.
I think what’s really interesting about the Salem Witch trials is that they’ve gained a near-cult following in the years since; however, in terms of scale, not that many people were actually killed—at least, not as many as popular media would have us believe. During this time, there was very little scientific knowledge known by mankind. In the end, humans are creatures of instinct, and a very common fear among the animal kingdom is that of the unknown. Humans fear the unknown, because it could be dangerous. Obviously, this leads to things like xenophobia and racism, which are ostensibly not good. Fear is a powerful tool that takes control of the masses, and it has been used time and time again, whether by mistake or not, to push a crowd towards mass hysteria.
ReplyDeleteAnother factor that contributed to the Salem Witch trials was that since there were so many unknowns, any amount of speculation that could not be disproved (or proved) was made. People could make any number of claims with no check, and imagination allowed to run wild had dangerous consequences. Even though the witch trials did not have a particularly large magnitude, the fact that they happened is enough to boggle the mind. People often say they were born in the wrong generation—I’m just grateful I wasn’t born in Salem, Massachusetts circa late 1600s.
Hi Tanya! Your blog was an effective recounting of the horrific social and legal blunder in Salem—I think the trials remain exceptionally relevant today, especially the legal aspect. Thankfully, our legal system today does rely on the premise of “innocent until proven guilty,” but some have still found ways to exploit the system and persecute innocent groups without any proof, such as actions taken against Hispanic and brown Americans without due process. These actions are undoubtedly shocking and clearly reminiscent of history, yet some still don’t seem to react with the same level of alarm; I think the extreme nature of the Salem Witch Trials is what harms the comparison. As you mentioned, women would have fatal accusations thrown at them with absolutely no previous evidence, only the fear of any common people. Additionally, victims were tortured into confessing their crimes as “witches.” In contrast, there have been numerous propaganda efforts to convince the public that immigrants (nonwhite ones) are detrimental to society, which normalizes such treatment in the minds of others. Although history repeats itself, those taking advantage of their power are also taking advantage of technological and societal advancements to make their ideas more pervasive.
ReplyDeleteThe Salem Witch Trials remind me of how people back in the medieval times also got burned at the stake for studying alchemy or "performing rituals." I think the random waves of mass hysteria that people have throughout history are really interesting, and we can find a correlation between these movements despite their difference in time period.
ReplyDeleteI think as much as we wanted to imagine having a legal system to save many lives that were wrongfully accused of witchcraft, it was understandable in the context of their society that they weren’t anywhere near suited for having a solid, centralized government or core, especially with one that implements strict rules. This had been a time of mass hysteria as you said, and scientific discoveries hadn’t been refined or even advanced yet, so society did rule mostly on superstitious values and religion.
It’s also really interesting how horror movie culture is almost the same as the people at the Salem Trials, because they commonly characterize possessed people to have bruises on their bodies to simulate the presence of an invisible spirit. It’s so fascinating how the same beliefs we have in our modern movies today still reference back to the early days (not necessarily the Salem Witch Trials, it probably originated earlier) so that we still have a part of history with us (like Charlize mentioned in her last blog about the history of horror), even though most of us don’t know the true origin of these superstitions.
Thank you for your blog, Tanya! It was very interesting to learn about the Salem Witch Trials.