11 1693 DOC Form

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You’ve been accused of a crime you did not commit. It’s impossible to prove your innocence. If you insist that you’re innocent anyway, you’ll likely be found guilty and executed. But if you confess, apologize, and implicate others for good measure, you’ll go free. Do you give a false confession— or risk a public hanging? This was the choice facing those accused of witchcraft in the village of Salem, Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. They were the victims of paranoia about the supernatural, misdirected religious fervor— and a justice system that valued repentance over truth. Salem was settled in 1626 by Puritans, a group of English protestants. Life was strict and isolated for the people of Salem. Battles with their Native American neighbors and groups of French settlers were commonplace. People feared starvation and disease, and relations between villagers were strained. To make matters worse, 1692 brought one of the coldest winters on record.