Is everything in this project really true?
We’re very lucky to have a huge trove of original documents from the Trials. You can see a lot of them here. So sticking to the facts is pretty easy, with a little gussying up to make it a compelling read. For example, on Aug 19, George Burroughs was hanged.
- Was he really buried with a foot sticking out? Yes, that’s what tradition tells us. (Also his chin, but ew.)
- Did he really recite the Lord’s Prayer, perfectly? Yes.
- Was the crowd angry with his hanging? Yes.
- Did they yell “Stop”? I don’t know. But they must have said something to indicate their anger, so I filled in the blank with a word that clearly shows the truth: that more and more people wanted to ”stop” the trials.
The bigger problem is what I’ve had to leave out. Right now the “cast of characters” includes about 35 people, which is necessary (though still too many). But there are twice as many judges, a whole slew of lawmen, many more afflicted girls and even adult women, and about a hundred people in jail. Not to mention the French and Indian war. It’s … a lot. So while the project is truthful in spirit, It’s not comprehensive.
Who’s the real bad guy?
A few men take turns wearing the black hat. But my vote goes to Chief Justice William Stoughton, who began each trial assuming the person was guilty, and was so angry and intent on routing out witches that he was merciless and impossible to reason with. Even the governor had trouble standing in his way.
Did the afflicted girls actually believe what they were saying?
It’s possible that a couple of girls believed what they saw or heard was real: the 9-year-old, and one teenager who may have been mentally ill. A few others were so traumatized by past events that they briefly believed what they saw was real. It’s likely, though, that most of the girls knew what they were saying was not true. It’s easy to imagine how intoxicated they were with the attention, since women (especially servants and children) were literally to be seen and not heard in public. Once they claimed to be afflicted, it was hard to backtrack. Several tried, by admitting they were lying. But (ironically) no one believed them, so they were pulled back in.
How many people died?
19 people were hanged, 1 was tortured to death, and at least 6 known people died in prison. (Also, 2 dogs died, but I’m not focusing on that because ow, my broken heart.)
Where are you getting the images from?
Nancy Price is my image researcher and editor! We’re careful to use only royalty-free, full permission stock images. Our primary sources are Pixabay, Unsplash, and Pxfuel.