While Salem Massachusetts is
recognized for having one of the most significant seaports in early
American History, boasting the first National Historic Site designated
by Congress (Salem Maritime National Historic Site), it is really even
more renowned for its connection to the infamous Witch Trials that bear
the city’s name. During the course of the Salem Witch Trials,
conducted from June through September of 1692, nineteen men and women
were convicted of practicing witchcraft and sentenced to death.
Shortly after being convicted, they were carted off to “Gallows
Hill” near Salem Village, for hanging. Hundreds of others were
also accused and sat in jail for months, awaiting trial. Luckily,
the hysteria of the witch trials died down before anyone else met the
untimely and tragic fate of the original nineteen.