Detection During the Salem Witch Trials

The Salem Witch Trials began in 1862, in the state of Massachusetts. During that time, at least 24 men and women were executed for being believed to be performing witchcraft. At that time, there were many different methods used to detect witches, including testimony, ceremonies, and a witch’s behavior.

The testimony used to convict someone of witch craft simply involved one person accusing another of witch craft. At the time, the courts believed that one person’s testimony was enough to put a person on trial, and sometimes testimony alone was used to convict, especially in the early stages of the trial. As the trials went on, other methods were developed to prove a witch’s guilt.

The courts performed several different ceremonies to convict a witch. One ceremonial test involved a witch cake. The courts would bake a cake, using a victim’s urine, and feed it to a dog. If the eating of the cake harmed the person on trial, they were believed to be a witch.

Another test involved weighing a suspect on a scale against a set of bibles. If the suspect weighed more or less than the bibles, they were convicted of witchcraft. If the scale evened out, they were believed to be innocent.

The water test involved throwing a suspected witch into the river. If she was able to float, she was being helped by Satan and was a witch. If she sunk to the bottom of the river, she was innocent.

The body test involved checking a suspect for any strange moles, birthmarks, or a third nipple. All of these things were believed to be evidence that the witch had been touched by Satan.

Many of these tests seem ridiculous now, but at the time of the Salem Witch Trials, they were believed to be the truth. Unfortunately, many people were executed because of these false truths, and the Salem Witch Trials will always be a part of the United States’ shocking past.