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
John Hathorne was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials and the great-great-grandfather of author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hathorne was born in Salem on August 5, 1641, to William Hathorne and Anne Smith. He was the fifth of nine children. His father, William, was a local judge who came to the…| 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
Rebecca Nurse was a 71-year-old grandmother and wife of a local artisan when she was accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Nurse was also the sister of accused witches Mary Easty and Sarah Cloyce and the daughter of suspected witch Joanna Blessing Towne. Born in Yarmouth, England in…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Tituba was a slave who worked for Samuel Parris during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The various documents and books about the Salem Witch Trials over the years often refer to Tituba as Black or mixed race, but the actual court documents from her trial refer to her as…| History of Massachusetts Blog
The Salem Village meetinghouse was located near the corner of Hobart and Forest Streets in Danvers, Massachusetts. Originally built in 1672, the meetinghouse served as a place of worship and a general gathering place for civil and military matters. The land for the meetinghouse was donated by Joseph Hutchinson, who…| History of Massachusetts Blog
Ingersoll’s Tavern, also known as Ingersoll's Ordinary, is a historic house in Danvers, Massachusetts that once served as a tavern during the Salem Witch Trials. The tavern is a Colonial-style clapboard house located on Hobart Street. The oldest part of the house was built in 1670 for Nathaniel Ingersoll, lieutenant…| History of Massachusetts Blog