When people think of witch trials in the early years of the United States, usually only the Salem witch trials come to mind. However, witch mania was widespread across the Eastern world and rooted into the settlements in the early American colonies (Cavanaugh, 2016).
In 1642, Connecticut was the first region to make witchcraft punishable by death. It was not until five years later, however, that Hartford enacted this brutality. Records were ill kept, so many of the circumstances and the trial are difficult to piece together. What we do know is that Alse Young was blamed for an epidemic in a nearby settlement. She was convicted of witchcraft and killed. Sickness was, of course, common during this era, as was cold, hunger, and many other hardships. When these things happened, it was easier to blame witchcraft and those who did not present themselves as devout puritans (Cavanaugh, 2016).
The story that started it all is that of Goodwife Ayres. After 8 year old Elizabeth Kelly died suddenly, her parents convinced themselves it was the work of the devil. The girl had been well only a few days before when she had been in the company of Goody Ayres. John and Bethia Kelly were convinced that Ayres had possessed their child and killed her. During the trial they told the courts that Elizabeth hadn’t gotten sick until the evening Ayres brought her home. They claimed their daughter, hysterical, had proclaimed “Father! Father! Help me, help me! Goodwife Ayres is upon me. She chokes me! She kneels on my belly! She will break my bowels! She pinches me! She will make me black and blue!” Elizabeth’s death and Goodwife Ayres’ trial began the flurry of accusations in Connecticut (Klein, 2012).
Rebecca Greensmith was the next to be accused after Ann Cole claimed she had become afflicted with violent shaking and uncontrollable vocal blasphemies. Greensmith was not well liked in the town, having been described as “a lewd, ignorant, considerably aged old woman.” Many agreed that witchcraft was the culprit as many had believed witchcraft had beene the cause of Elizabeth Kelly’s death. It was very easy to switch the blame from Goodwife Ayres to Rebecca Greensmith due to her unpopular reputation. Ayres’ husband joined the popular opinion about Greensmith, perhaps to save his wife. Those accused would accuse others, spouses would accuse each other and neighbors would accuse neighbors (Klein, 2012).
Greensmith did not help her own case, claiming she was “familiar” with the devil and would meet with him every Christmas to form a covenant. She claimed that she met with seven other witches including Goody Ayres, Mary Sanford, Elizabeth Seager, and even her own husband. Neighbors supported the claim stating they had seen Seager dancing with others in the woods and concocting mysterious mixtures in a black cauldron (Klein, 2016).
Two of the accused, speculated to be Rebecca Greensmith and her husband, Nathaniel, were subjected to the water test. Their hands and feet were bound and they were thrown into a body of water, testing the popular “witches float” theory. They were tried and convicted and sentenced to death. Nathaniel Greensmith continued to proclaim his innocence, while his wife publicly confessed. The couple, as well as a few others of the accused, were hung (Klien, 2016)
Mary Johnson was executed in 1648. She was detained and tortured for four years until a confession was extracted from her. They were able to make her confess to “familiarity with the devil” and “uncleanliness with men and devils.” This was the first reported confession of witchcraft in the colonies. There were 11 people executed by hanging and many others were banished for witchcraft between 1647 and 1697. Nine of the 11 were women and in some cases, the women’s husbands were hung along with them (Cavanaugh,2016).
It took one one person to bring an individual to trial for witchcraft. In most cases, the person’s stories were also enough to ensure an execution as well. Most often, the accuser was a person who felt wronged by the accused or someone who could gain financially from the death. In one case, a woman was accused of “bewitching” her neighbor’s livestock and “caused beer to jump out of a barrel.” Men’s mistakes were also blamed on women and labeled as witchcraft. Lydia Gilbert was accused of using witchcraft and causing the death of an innocent person when one man accidentally shot and killed another (Cavanaugh,2016).
The Hartford Witch Panic was the height of witch mania in Connecticut. Three witches were executed in only a couple weeks time. After this in 1662, new laws were made requiring testimony from multiple people during the trial to determine guilt of witchcraft. Many were beginning to find the “evidence” presented for these cases suspect and began to question the motivation of witnesses. As a result, many were acquitted and some were even given restitution for the slander and damages. Torture methods such as hot irons and boiling water were demonized, and death sentences were not given lightly. Katherine Harrison was convicted of witchcraft in 1668 but the courts refused to have her executed despite the protests by citizens(Cavanaugh, 2016).
When the Salem witch trials began in 1692, the hysteria of witches in Connecticut returned, but no executions were made. Witchcraft was still a capital crime, but investigation into accusations was no longer hasty. Thorough investigations were made and, more often than not, the accusations were a product of feuds between people. The courts were beginning to tire of the accusations and even an unsolicited confession couldn’t sway them. Hugh Crotia announced to the courts that he practiced black magic and had made a pact with the devil, himself. He stated that he often used his dark magics against fellow citizens. The courts declared him an “Ignoramus”, made him pay his jail fees and freed him (Cavanaugh, 2016).
Learning Wicca and the Tradition of the Craft 