1692Reputable sourceWell documented
The Salem Witch Trials
On the timeline · around 1692 ·
What happened
In colonial Massachusetts, a wave of witchcraft accusations gripped Salem Village. Special courts tried some 200 people; 20 were executed — 19 hanged and one pressed to death — before the panic collapsed and officials later admitted the trials had been a grievous error.
Why it matters
Salem became an enduring American parable about mass hysteria, false accusation, and the dangers of a justice system driven by fear and superstition — a cautionary tale invoked in every later 'witch hunt.'
Sources
- HISTORY (A&E). Salem Witch Trials · Reputable source