“The Witch City” - Salem Massachusetts
Cheers to my amazing daughter who, a few weeks ago, went to visit Salem Massachusetts. She brought me back this fabulous mug. Salem has long been a place I have wanted to visit, but have yet to be able to cross it off my bucket list. Salem is known as the witch city, due to the witch trials that were held there in the late 1600’s.
Salem was first settled in 1626. It is the second oldest settlement in Massachusetts. It is perhaps a city best known for the witch trials held there between 1692 and 1693. Many Christians at this time held the strong belief that the Devil was a part of witchcraft. They believed that the Devil gave witches the power to harm others. Salem was not the only place where fear led to witch trials occurring. From the 1300’s to the 1600’s there were many witch trials held throughout Europe. At the time of the trials in Salem, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. There were actually 20 of these people convicted and executed for this crime. Eventually, Salem which was then a colony and not yet a city, admitted that the witch trials had been a mistake and compensated the families of those convicted of witchcraft. There was however, no formal apology to the descendants of those executed until 1957, over 250 years later.
In 1992, the city of Salem dedicated a memorial to those who died during the witch trials. The memorial is in the centre of Salem, on Liberty Street. Twenty benches, one for each victim (19 women and 1 man) have been placed into a low wall along the street with a dirt path running from bench to bench for visitors to walk, and sit, and reflect on the terrible injustices these people suffered. Each bench lists the name of the person, how and when they were executed and the words “God knows I am innocent” cut off in mid sentence representing the fact that their lives were cut short.
I hope one day that I will have the opportunity to visit this city… to walk the memorial… to think about the people who’s lives were cut short … and to hope that hysteria like this never darkens history again.
Peace and Happiness
Dagaz 💕
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