Between 1692 and 1693, the Salem Witch Trials in colonial Massachusetts led to:
19 executions by hanging,
1 man (Giles Corey) pressed to death, and
4 deaths in prison.
“Tests” like reciting Bible verses, “swimming” witches, and weighing suspects against the Bible were among the pseudo-religious methods used to “prove guilt.” The belief was rooted in the superstition that the Devil’s servants could not speak sacred words or be accepted by holy elements like water.
The practice of “swimming witches” had originated earlier in Europe, where thousands of innocent women and men — particularly in England, Germany, and Spain — were drowned, hanged, or burned. Scholars now widely agree these events stemmed from a mix of religious fanaticism, misogyny, and social panic rather than real evidence of witchcraft.
In the fevered darkness of Salem’s witch trials, even faith itself was put on trial. One of the cruelest “tests” of the accused was to force them to recite verses from the Holy Bible. It was believed that a servant of the Devil could not speak the sacred word of God — and so a single hesitation could seal a person’s fate.
Among those condemned was Reverend George Burroughs, once a respected minister. On the day of his execution, as the noose was readied, Burroughs stood before the crowd and calmly began to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Word by word, his voice never trembled. When he finished the prayer flawlessly, the onlookers fell into stunned silence — for everyone knew the legend: no witch could speak those words.
Yet the judges refused to believe their own eyes. They called it a trick of Satan. Moments later, Burroughs was hanged.
The crowd wept — and with that act, Salem’s hysteria began to reveal its monstrous cruelty.
Centuries later, this story reminds us of something vital: when fear replaces reason and belief replaces truth, innocence itself becomes a crime.
Source: The Unknown; But Not Hidden
