In what year did the Salem witch trials begin?

In what year did the Salem witch trials begin? They began in 1692. The crisis started in Salem Village, a community now known as Danvers, Massachusetts, when several girls were reported to be suffering strange fits and accused local women of witchcraft. The first formal examinations of suspects began in March, after the accusations had spread through the village.

The initial accusations involved Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam Jr., and Elizabeth Hubbard. Their reports of invisible attacks were treated by some local authorities as evidence of supernatural harm. The accusations quickly expanded beyond Salem Village to nearby communities, including Andover and Topsfield, turning a local panic into a regional legal crisis.

The proceedings continued into 1693, so 1692 marks the beginning rather than the entire duration. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty were convicted, 19 were hanged, and Giles Corey died after being pressed with heavy stones for refusing to enter a plea. Several others died in jail before their cases were resolved.

The trials eventually lost official support as ministers, judges, and political leaders questioned the use of spectral evidence—the claim that a victim’s spirit had been attacked by a witch. Governor William Phips dissolved the original special court, and later proceedings became more cautious.