In Search Of History: Salem Witch Trials

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For the incoming Puritan settlers, 17th-century New England was a place filled with fear and uncertainty. It was an environment that?coupled with a backdrop of religious extremism?bred an anxiety so intense it ultimately turned deadly. As a result of the 1692 Salem witch trials, 19 men and women were hanged and one man was "pressed" to death following the untenable accusations made by several young girls from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. When the hysteria finally subsided and new community leaders came into power, apologies were made and in 1711 legislation was passed that offered some financial restitution to the families of the victims. This program brought to you by The History Channel provides a comprehensive account of the actual events and examines the possible causes behind this highly notorious and puzzling complex period in early American history.