Main accusers in the Salem Witch Trials

The "afflicted girls" and their accusations

At the center of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 were girls and young women aged nine to 20, who were known as the "afflicted girls."

They displayed signs of satanic possession, such as screaming, convulsions, barking, and other terrifying symptoms. These girls were members of prominent village families, household servants, or refugees from King William's War. The accusations of these girls led to the arrest and execution of numerous people.

Original document from the Salem witch trial

The Main Accusers

Betty Parris and Abigail Williams

Betty Parris and Abigail Williams were the first girls to show signs of witchcraft and accuse others of witchcraft. Betty was the nine-year-old daughter of Samuel Parris, the village minister of Salem, and Abigail was his eleven-year-old niece. The two girls began to suffer strange fits and convulsions and eventually accused three women of witchcraft: Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba.

Mary Walcott

Mary was the 16-year-old daughter of Captain Jonathan Walcott and related to the Putnam family. She joined the core group of accusers in March 1692 and was involved in numerous accusations. After the trials, she married and had six children.

The house where Ann Putnam lived

Ann Putnam Jr.

The 12-year-old daughter of Thomas Putnam and his wife Ann Carr Putnam was one of the most active accusers and accused over 60 people. After the death of her parents in 1699, she took care of her siblings and later offered an apology for her role in the trials, the only one of the accusers to do so.

Mary Warren

The 20-year-old Mary worked as a maidservant in the household of John and Elizabeth Proctor. After initially being accused of witchcraft herself, she rejoined the accusers and testified against the Proctors. Her fate after the trials is unknown.

Mercy Lewis

Mercy was 19 years old and had lost her parents in a raid by Wabanaki Indians. She worked in the household of Thomas and Ann Putnam Sr. and eventually accused nine people of witchcraft. After the trials, she married and moved to Boston.

Elizabeth Hubbard

The 17-year-old orphan worked as a maidservant for her aunt and uncle, the physician William Griggs. She was one of the first accusers and testified against 29 people. After the trials, she disappeared from historical records.

Possible Explanations for the Accusations

The exact reasons for the actions of the accusers are unknown. Historians have put forth various theories, including economic hardship, deliberate fraud, mass hysteria, mental illness, and convulsive ergotism. The truth is likely more complex and eludes our knowledge.

Impact of the Accusations on the Salem Witch Trials

The accusations of the main accusers led to an escalation of the witch hunt, triggering a wave of arrests, trials, and executions. Their accusations and their dramatic