The Salem Witch Trials We have all heard fairy tales about witches and wizards. You know, the ones who ride brooms and have that evil laugh! Well, even in Salem, Massachusetts, people believed it. They may not be the ones you see in popular books or movies, but they were considered a legitimate threat to the people of Salem. The Salem "witches" have become a famous part of history, as the trials began in January 1692. The Salem witch trials were some of the darkest times in human history because they caused unwarranted hysteria and fear of the unknown; as a result, this caused physical, mental, and emotional harm, as well as a great loss of life. The first accusation of witchcraft was WilliamThe court of Oyer and Terminer became the court that handled the witch trials. There have been many cases involving witchcraft; some of which became very well known. The first person to be formally tried was Bridget Bishop. Bridget was accused of bewitching five girls. People say that his "form" forced them to do things and that they saw voodoo dolls in the house where he stayed. The biggest thing she did that condemned her was the amount of lies she told. Bridget approved all charges against her and was formally sentenced on June 3. Shortly thereafter, on June 10, she was executed by hanging. Over the past year, a total of 100-200 people have been jailed, 24 have died and 55 have been falsely accused of witchcraft. The consequences of the trials created a sort of closure and relief in the city. Only one of the original six girl accusers publicly apologized, and that was Ann Putnam Jr. She issued a public apology in 1706 saying "she truly felt that the Devil had taken possession of her." She also apologized for all the other mistakes she made. Each of the perpetrators acted in different ways and some never truly apologized. Reverend Parris was removed from his church position and driven from the village in 1694. Governor Phips was removed from office: he believed in witchcraft, but knew the accused were innocent. The governor ran the court of Oyer and Terminer, which was disbanded once he was removed from office. The king forced him to return to England where he died of a terrible fever in February 1695. After the year 1752, the town of Salem was renamed “Danvers” to leave behind its past of death and hatred. Finally, in 1957, the last of the “witches” names were erased. The city finally realized its mistakes and in 1992 erected a memorial honoring the people who died from witchcraft accusations