John Proctor was a successful farmer and the first male to be named a witch during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Proctor was born in Assington, England on October 9, 1631. He immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with his parents, John Proctor, Sr, and Martha Harper Proctor, sometime…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Thomas Putnam was the father of afflicted girl Ann Putnam, Jr, and many historians consider him to be a major influence in the Salem Witch Trials. Putnam himself accused and testified against 43 people, while his daughter testified against 62 people. Many historians believe the Putnam family used the witchcraft…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem in the Province of Massachusetts Bay between 1692 and 1693. Historians believe the accused witches were victims of mob mentality, mass hysteria, and scapegoating. The Salem Witch Trials began in January of 1692, after a group of girls began behaving strangely and…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Crucible is a play about the Salem Witch Trials written by Arthur Miller. The play debuted on Broadway in January of 1953 and has since become an American classic. Although the play is based on the Salem Witch Trials, it was intended to be an allegory for the Red…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Ann Putnam, Jr, was one of the afflicted girls during the Salem Witch Trials and the daughter of the witch trials ringleader Thomas Putnam. Born on October 18, 1679, in Salem, Ann Putnam Jr, was the oldest of 10 children born to Ann Carr Putnam and Thomas Putnam, a sergeant…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Reverend Samuel Parris was the minister at Salem Village during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Samuel Parris was born in London, England, in 1653. In the late 1650s, his father, Thomas Parris, moved his entire family to a sugar plantation that he had purchased in Barbados. Samuel Parris' Early…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Elizabeth “Betty” Parris was the first afflicted girl and one of the main accusers during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Born in Boston on November 28, 1682, Betty moved to Salem with her family and slave Tituba in November of 1689 when her father, Samuel Parris, was appointed the…| History of Massachusetts Blog
