Quiz: Would You Have Survived the Salem Witch Trials?
Quiz: Would You Have Survived the Salem Witch Trials?
The Salem witch trials remain the most widely recognized episode of mass hysteria in history. Between 1692 and 1693, more than 200 people in colonial Massachusetts were accused of practicing the Devil's magic. By the time the hysteria subsided, 24 people had died. Nineteen were hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Town, but some perished in prison. Would you have been one of them? Take our quiz and find out.
The Salem witch trials remain the most widely recognized episode of mass hysteria in history. Between 1692 and 1693, more than 200 people in colonial Massachusetts were accused of practicing the Devil's magic. By the time the hysteria subsided, 24 people had died. Nineteen were hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Town, but some perished in prison. Would you have been one of them? Take our quiz and find out.
Are you a woman?
Do you attend church regularly?
Do you talk to yourself?
Do you have a mole, scar, birthmark, or third nipple?
How do you feel about your neighbors?
How close are you with your pet?
Have you been accused of witchcraft in the past?
If your wife was accused of witchcraft, would you defend her?
Are you over 40 years old?
You're accused! Confess to practicing the Devil's magic!
You're accused! Confess to practicing the Devil's magic!
You're one of the 24 victims. As events unfolded, 185 people were accused at Salem, 141 women and 44 men. Of that number, 14 women and 5 men were executed, the last group on September 22, 1692. Most of the victims were women over the age of forty. The men convicted tended to be the family members of convicted female witches.
The evidence used to convict a person of being a witch included not going to church, eccentric behavior (yes, talking to yourself counts), or expressing support for others who were accused. Neighborly feuds were another major risk factor. Many people accused their neighbors of witch craft as “revenge” for past tension or conflict.
Being extremely close with your cat or having a Cindy Crawford-esque mole on your face could also get you into trouble. The Puritans believed familiar spirits, or familiars for short, were demonic entities given to witches by the Devil to work their mischief. (During the trials, the slave Tituba testified that Sarah Good was served by a yellow bird, as well as a cat..)
Unusual skin marks were another major no-no: "Witch's Mark's" were perceived as portals through which Satan could enter your body. During the trials, the accused were stripped and examined for birthmarks, warts, and moles. Were you born with a third nipple? Even worse. The common belief was that a "Witch Teat," or extra nipple on a witch’s body, permitted a familiar to suckle human blood.
You're innocent!
You're innocent!
You're one of the lucky few! As events unfolded, 185 people were accused at Salem, 141 women and 44 men. Of that number, 52 women and 7 men were tried; 26 women and 5 men were convicted; and 14 women and 5 men were executed, the last group on September 22, 1692. Did you manage to survive the trials? Good for you! In 1703, the members of the Salem Village church voted to reverse some of the excommunications they had imposed at the height of the hysteria.
Feeling awkward about all of the innocent people you condemned? A little public repentance goes a along way. In 1706, Ann Putnam, one of the most vocal accusers, publicly asked for forgiveness, claiming that "a great delusion of Satan" had deceived her into denouncing innocent people like Rebecca Nurse. She was welcomed into the church.