The First of Many
Tituba was the slave of Reverend Parris' family. She was an obvious choice for blame when the girls were pressured into naming their accusers. It has been said that she would tell the girls stories about witchcraft and magic and that was maybe a reason the girls began acting how they did. She originally denied all accusations. Later, she told everyone she and four others were witches and that the devil had asked her to do his work. This convinced many skeptics within the village and the witchhunt began. She was not put to death.
Sarah Good was a beggar and outsider within the Salem comminity. This made her an easy target. Tituba identified her as being a fellow witch. The actions made against good were said to have been "cruel and shameful to the highest degree." They took in her four year old daugher to identify her own mother as a witch. She was executed on July 19th.
Sarah Osborne was a social outcast. She had not attended church in many years due to an illness. She also had legal issues with the putnam family. She denied any involvement from the beginning. Her arguement was if the devil was using her image to scare the girls, it was unknown to her. Sarah was never convicted because she died in jail on May 10th.
Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft in Salem during this time. 19 were executed. 4 died in prison. 1 man was pressed to death. Two dogs were even killed for being supposed accomplices of witches.
The
Dead
Nineteen accused witches were hanged on Gallows Hill in
1692:
June 10
Bridget Bishop
July 19
Rebecca Nurse
Sarah
Good
Susannah Martin
Elizabeth Howe
Sarah
Wildes
August 19
George Burroughs
Martha Carrier
John Willard
George Jacobs, Sr.
John Proctor
September 22
Martha Corey
Mary Eastey
Ann
Pudeator
Alice Parker
Mary Parker
Wilmott
Redd
Margaret Scott
Samuel Wardwell
One
accused witch (or wizard, as male witches were often called) was pressed to
death on September 19 when he failed to plead guilty or not
guilty:
Giles Corey
Other accused witches died in prison:
Sarah Osborn
Roger
Toothaker
Lyndia Dustin
Ann Foster
(As many as
thirteen** others may have died in prison.)
**sources conflict as to the exact number of prison
deaths
Dead
Nineteen accused witches were hanged on Gallows Hill in
1692:
June 10
Bridget Bishop
July 19
Rebecca Nurse
Sarah
Good
Susannah Martin
Elizabeth Howe
Sarah
Wildes
August 19
George Burroughs
Martha Carrier
John Willard
George Jacobs, Sr.
John Proctor
September 22
Martha Corey
Mary Eastey
Ann
Pudeator
Alice Parker
Mary Parker
Wilmott
Redd
Margaret Scott
Samuel Wardwell
One
accused witch (or wizard, as male witches were often called) was pressed to
death on September 19 when he failed to plead guilty or not
guilty:
Giles Corey
Other accused witches died in prison:
Sarah Osborn
Roger
Toothaker
Lyndia Dustin
Ann Foster
(As many as
thirteen** others may have died in prison.)
**sources conflict as to the exact number of prison
deaths