Common Myths about Salem

The Salem Witch trials are constantly looked back on as an event that no one can exactly pinpoint the cause. There are many different theories as to what happened during this time, but at the end of the day, these are just theories. With that being said, there are a few common misconceptions that people having regarding the Salem witch trials. In this blog post, I want to point three main myths, and debunk them.

First, many people believe the convicted witches were burned. However, with the exception of one, all who were sentenced to death did so by getting hung. The exception to this is Giles Corey, who we talked about in class, in which he was crushed under stones after refusing to plead guilty. Online forums constantly reiterate the fact that these Salem witches were in fact burned, but in reality there is no evidence to support this. 

Second, another main myth people assume to be true is that all the victims were women. It is true that misogyny was at the forefront of many decisions during this time, but those accused of witchcraft in Salem were not solely women. In total, four men, one of which was a fortune-telling carpenter and another who was a 42-year old Harvard graduate. With this being said, gender did play an enormous role in the Salem hysteria. Families were torn apart, with fathers accusing sons or vice versa. 

Third, many believe superstition was the driving force. In reality, piety played a far significant role in Salem than superstition. The concept itself of witches comes directly from scripture, in which those who studied the Bible the most feared witchcraft more than others. As a result, some of the smartest people in New England tried to interpret what happened during this time. They came to the realization that the most literate also happened to be the most literal in their interpretations. Those who had strong interpretations of the Bible dreaded the idea of witches roaming the world.