The Salem witch trials produced twenty deaths. Nineteen people were hanged and one man was pressed to death. Accusations reached well over one hundred residents with more than fifty arrests recorded by the end of April.
Key Takeaways
- Between January and March 1692, at least three young girls in Salem Village—Betty Parris (9 years old), Abigail Williams (11 years old), and Ann Putnam Jr. (12 years old)—began exhibiting bizarre behaviors including screaming, throwing objects, contortions, and uttering peculiar sounds attributed to witchcraft.
- 19 people were hanged on Gallows Hill between June 10 and September 22, 1692, all convicted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer.
- The Putnam family feud with Porters underlay many accusations in Salem Village disputes.
- Betty Parris, aged 9, was the first afflicted girl whose symptoms started the accusations in January 1692.
- John Proctor was accused on April 11, 1692, after criticizing the proceedings and beating Mary Warren's spectral fits out of her.
Most Salem executions followed accusations, and the trials rapidly expanded despite limited credible evidence.
Related reading
01 · Category
Accusations And Arrests30 stats
01
Between January and March 1692, at least three young girls in Salem Village—Betty Parris (9 years old), Abigail Williams (11 years old), and Ann Putnam Jr. (12 years old)—began exhibiting bizarre behaviors including screaming, throwing objects, contortions, and uttering peculiar sounds attributed to witchcraft.
02
On February 29, 1692, the first three arrest warrants were issued for Tituba (an enslaved woman), Sarah Osborne (a bedridden elderly woman), and Sarah Good (a poor beggar), marking the official start of formal accusations.
03
Tituba was accused by the afflicted girls of tormenting them through spectral attacks after performing fortune-telling rituals at the request of Betty Parris and Abigail Williams.
04
By mid-March 1692, Sarah Good was examined and accused based on her reputation as a quarrelsome beggar who failed to attend church regularly.
05
Sarah Osborne was targeted due to her opposition to her son’s marriage to Sarah Good’s daughter and her infrequent church attendance despite owning property.
06
On March 1, 1692, Tituba confessed to signing the Devil’s book and named Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne as fellow witches, dramatically expanding the accusations.
07
Deliverance Hobbs was accused in April 1692 after being threatened with spectral evidence and quickly confessed, implicating others including her own family members.
08
By April 1692, accusations spread beyond Salem Village to Salem Town, Andover, and Ipswich, with over 50 people arrested by the end of the month.
09
Mary Warren, servant to the Proctors, was accused after her own fits ceased when John Proctor threatened her, leading to her arrest on April 18, 1692.
10
Bridget Bishop became the first to be tried and executed after multiple prior accusations dating back to 1690 for witchcraft and suspicious behavior.
11
In May 1692, George Burroughs was accused by the girls who claimed his specter tormented them, citing his superhuman strength from lifting a musket with one finger.
12
Rebecca Nurse, a 71-year-old church member, was accused on March 19, 1692, despite her piety, based on spectral testimony from the afflicted.
13
Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft in Essex County by September 1692, with accusations peaking in August.
14
Ann Putnam Jr. made 43 specific accusations against individuals, more than any other accuser during the trials.
15
Mercy Lewis accused 26 people, often citing visions of specters pinching and choking her during examinations.
16
39 people were arrested in Andover alone by September 1692, representing nearly 10% of the town's population.
17
John Alden Jr., a prominent Boston merchant, was accused on May 28, 1692, and escaped custody while imprisoned in Boston.
18
The accusation against Giles Corey stemmed from his skepticism toward the girls' fits and his wife's interest in spectral books.
19
By June 1692, 80 people were in custody awaiting trial, with jails in Salem, Ipswich, and Boston overflowing.
20
Dorcas Hoar was accused in April 1692 and confessed after months in jail, naming several others before retracting.
21
Susannah Sheldon accused 41 individuals, frequently testifying about spectral assaults in court.
22
Elizabeth Hubbard made 35 accusations, often corroborating the other girls' spectral visions during examinations.
23
Mary Walcott accused 35 people, including prominent figures like George Burroughs and Martha Carrier.
24
Abigail Williams accused 43 individuals, second only to Ann Putnam Jr., with dramatic courtroom theatrics.
25
Betty Parris, though young, accused at least 10 people early in the hysteria before her symptoms subsided.
26
Accusations often targeted social outcasts, with 75% of the accused being women, many poor or contentious.
27
24 men were accused compared to over 150 women, with men often accused alongside female relatives.
28
The Putnam family initiated 43 accusations, fueling much of the early Salem Village hysteria.
29
In late August 1692, accusations reached Topsfield and Gloucester, with 15 new arrests in a single week.
30
Martha Carrier was accused on May 28, 1692, dubbed the "Queen of Hell" for allegedly causing deaths via witchcraft.
Interpretation
Accusations And Arrests Interpretation
In just the first weeks of 1692, at least three girls in Salem Village helped trigger the early wave of accusations and by February 29 the first three arrest warrants had been issued, showing how quickly allegations translated into arrests.
More related reading
02 · Category
Executions And Deaths30 stats
01
19 people were hanged on Gallows Hill between June 10 and September 22, 1692, all convicted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer.
02
Giles Corey was pressed to death on September 19, 1692, with 80-year-old stones placed on his body over two days.
03
Bridget Bishop was the first executed on June 10, 1692, hanged wearing her red bodice and petticoats.
04
Sarah Good was hanged on July 19, 1692, proclaiming her innocence and cursing her accuser Nicholas Noyes.
05
Rebecca Nurse, aged 71, was hanged on July 19, 1692, after a controversial jury reversal.
06
Five people died in jail during the trials: Sarah Osborn, Lydia Dustin (acquitted but died), Ann Foster, and two others unnamed.
07
George Burroughs was hanged on August 19, 1692, despite reciting the Lord's Prayer flawlessly at his execution.
08
Martha Carrier, "Queen of Hell," was hanged on August 19, 1692, with four others that day.
09
Mary Easty was hanged on September 22, 1692, the last official execution, leaving a poignant petition.
10
The August 19, 1692, execution included George Jacobs Sr., tried August 5 and convicted on spectral evidence.
11
No bodies were allowed Christian burial; all 20 victims were left in shallow graves or disposed on Gallows Hill.
12
Sarah Wildes was hanged July 19, 1692, previously accused in 1686 but acquitted until spectral evidence revival.
13
Elizabeth Howe was executed July 19, 1692, convicted despite husband William's failed appeals.
14
Susannah Martin was hanged July 19, 1692, at 67 years old, mocking the court throughout her trial.
15
John Proctor was hanged August 19, 1692, after his wife Elizabeth's pregnancy stayed her execution.
16
14 women and 5 men comprised the 19 hanged victims, with ages ranging from 27 (Martha Carrier) to 81 (Rebecca Nurse).
17
Ann Pudeator, convicted September 1692, was hanged with four others on September 22, aged about 70.
18
Margaret Scott was executed September 22, 1692, accused late but convicted on reputation of prior suspicions.
19
Samuel Wardwell confessed then recanted, leading to his hanging on September 22, 1692.
20
Mary Parker was hanged September 22, 1692, with confused testimony implicating her broadly.
21
Chattoeck Preist was executed September 22, 1692, a Native American convert accused alongside others.
22
Alice Parker and Mary Bradbury were among the September 22 executions, though Bradbury escaped initially.
23
Total deaths directly from trials reached 24: 19 hanged, 1 pressed, 4 in jail post-arrest.
24
Reverend Nicholas Noyes officiated all hangings, famously stating "none suffered here on this account."
25
Gallows Hill site yielded bone fragments in 2016 excavations, confirming shallow burials of victims.
26
Tituba, source of initial confession, was never tried and sold into indenture post-1693.
27
Ann Foster died in jail October 1692 from fever after conviction, aged 75.
28
Sarah Osborn (Good's mother-in-law) died in jail May 1692, never tried.
29
Cotton Mather witnessed George Burroughs' execution and defended the proceedings publicly.
30
Increase Mather's influence post-executions led to Governor Phips dissolving the court October 29, 1692.
Interpretation
Executions And Deaths Interpretation
In the Executions and Deaths category, 19 people were hanged between June 10 and September 22, 1692, and at least two more deaths occurred through non-hanging punishment and prison mortality, showing that the trials produced lethal outcomes for dozens rather than just a few.
More related reading
03 · Category
Historical Context And Aftermath29 stats
01
The Putnam family feud with Porters underlay many accusations in Salem Village disputes.
02
Smallpox and frontier Indian wars in 1692 heightened fears of invisible evils in Puritan society.
03
Ergot poisoning from rye, causing convulsions, proposed as cause for girls' symptoms by Linnda Caporael in 1976.
04
The 1689 revocation of Massachusetts Bay Colony charter created political instability aiding hysteria.
05
Prior witch hunts like 1690 Hartford trials normalized spectral evidence acceptance.
06
Salem Village's 1692 population was 550, with accusations hitting 36% of residents.
07
75% of accused were women, reflecting Puritan misogyny viewing women as morally weaker.
08
Trials cost Essex County £983 in 1692 pounds, equivalent to over $100,000today.
09
Governor Phips pardoned remaining accused January 1693, releasing all but five by May.
10
22 families received compensation totaling £578 by 1711 for losses from trials.
11
Ann Putnam Jr.'s 1706 apology, only from an accuser, read before church for her 43 accusations.
12
1711 legislative bill reversed guilty verdicts and restored rights to victims' heirs.
13
Rebecca Nurse's descendants petitioned for exoneration, granted symbolically in 2001 by Massachusetts.
14
No executions for witchcraft occurred in New England after 1692 due to spectral evidence ban.
15
Arthur Miller's 1953 "The Crucible" used trials as allegory for McCarthyism, reviving interest.
16
Salem Witch Museum opened 1972, drawing 350,000 visitors yearly for education.
17
Gallows Hill designated National Historic Site in 2017 after archaeological confirmation.
18
Puritan theocracy emphasized predestination, making witchcraft accusations communal salvation tools.
19
Land disputes in Salem Village between Putnam anti-Parris faction and Porter pro-Parris fueled accusations.
20
1692 frontier wars with French/Indians displaced refugees to Salem, spreading fears.
21
Medical theories post-trials: hysteria, epilepsy, encephalitis proposed alongside ergotism.
22
1957 memorial erected in Salem for victims, listing 20 names on granite boulder.
23
Descendants of accused formed associations; Nurse family received church restoration 1957.
24
Trials inspired over 100 books and films, making Salem tourism $100M+ annually.
25
Robert Calef's 1700 critique led to Mather's book-burning retaliation.
26
By 1703, Judge Sewall publicly repented for trials in church fast day.
27
Witchcraft belief persisted in America until 18th century; last US trial 1878.
28
Essex County jails held 141 accused at peak, with disease killing several un-tried.
29
Trials weakened Puritan authority, accelerating Enlightenment skepticism in colonies.
Interpretation
Historical Context And Aftermath Interpretation
In the Historical Context and Aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials, escalating real-world strains and political disruption set the stage for a rapid outbreak of accusations, with 36% of Salem Village’s 550 residents targeted in 1692 while earlier Hartford trials had already made spectral evidence easier to believe.
More related reading
04 · Category
Key Figures29 stats
01
Betty Parris, aged 9, was the first afflicted girl whose symptoms started the accusations in January 1692.
02
Abigail Williams, 11-year-old niece of Reverend Parris, was a primary accuser accusing over 40 people.
03
Ann Putnam Jr., 12, made 43 accusations and later apologized in 1706 for her role.
04
Tituba, enslaved woman from the Caribbean, confessed March 1, 1692, naming witches and fueling hysteria.
05
Reverend Samuel Parris, Salem Village minister, hosted the afflicted girls and supported early accusations.
06
Judge William Stoughton, chief justice, presided over all convictions and admitted spectral evidence.
07
Cotton Mather, influential minister, published "Wonders of the Invisible World" defending the trials.
08
Increase Mather, Cotton's father, wrote "Cases of Conscience" criticizing spectral evidence, ending trials.
09
Governor William Phips established the Court of Oyer and Terminer and dissolved it after wife accused.
10
Bridget Bishop, tavern owner, first executed June 10, 1692, known for bold attire and prior suspicions.
11
Rebecca Nurse, pious 71-year-old, excommunicated post-execution; church apologized 300 years later.
12
John Proctor, skeptical farmer, accused after criticizing trials; hanged August 19, 1692.
13
Giles Corey, 80-year-old, pressed to death for refusing plea; curse legend persists.
14
George Burroughs, ex-minister, accused of superhuman strength; hanged August 19, 1692.
15
Martha Carrier, Andover matriarch, executed August 19, 1692, blamed for smallpox outbreak.
16
Sarah Good, beggar, first arrested; hanged July 19, 1692, maintained innocence.
17
Mary Easty, articulate petitioner against spectral evidence; hanged September 22, 1692.
18
Thomas Putnam, accuser patriarch, signed 32 accusations; died 1699 under suspicious circumstances.
19
Mercy Lewis, 17-year-old servant, key accuser claiming 26 specters tormented her.
20
Elizabeth Hubbard, 17, accused 35; niece of Dr. William Griggs who diagnosed bewitchment.
21
Mary Warren, Proctor servant, confessed then accused others; survived after recanting.
22
Nicholas Noyes, Salem Town minister, officiated executions and seized Proctor estate.
23
Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne, magistrates, conducted initial examinations; Hathorne never repented.
24
Dorcas Good, 4-year-old daughter of Sarah Good, imprisoned; only child victim, released insane.
25
Deliverance Hobbs, confessed early, testified in 20 trials; pardoned later.
26
Judge Nathaniel Saltonstall resigned from court May 1692 in protest against proceedings.
27
Robert Calef, merchant, criticized trials in "More Wonders of the Invisible World," burned Mather's works.
28
Ann Putnam Sr., mother of accuser, testified in 12 cases claiming direct spectral visits.
29
Dr. William Griggs diagnosed girls' fits as supernatural, sparking medical-to-witchcraft shift.
Interpretation
Key Figures Interpretation
In the Key Figures narrative, the accusations gathered momentum through a small group of children and leaders who drove the scale of persecution, with Abigail Williams making over 40 accusations and Ann Putnam Jr adding 43, while later figures like Judge William Stoughton and Reverend Samuel Parris helped legitimize the process.
More related reading
05 · Category
Trials And Convictions26 stats
01
John Proctor was accused on April 11, 1692, after criticizing the proceedings and beating Mary Warren's spectral fits out of her.
02
Bridget Bishop's trial on June 2, 1692, relied heavily on spectral evidence and witness testimonies of her "shape" appearing.
03
The Court of Oyer and Terminer, established May 27, 1692, by Governor Phips, conducted all major witchcraft trials using special rules.
04
Spectral evidence, visions of the accused's spirit harming victims, was admitted in 100% of the convictions despite earlier Puritan skepticism.
05
Rebecca Nurse's jury initially acquitted her on June 30, 1692, but reversed after outcries from the afflicted girls.
06
30 people were formally convicted of witchcraft by the special court between June and September 1692.
07
Sarah Good's trial in early June 1692 featured testimonies from her 4-year-old daughter Dorothy, coerced to accuse her.
08
The trial of George Burroughs on August 5, 1692, included claims he could recite the Lord's Prayer perfectly, a supposed witch impossibility.
09
Martha Carrier was convicted on August 5, 1692, based on 15 witness accounts linking her to smallpox deaths in Andover.
10
Giles Corey's refusal to enter a plea on September 16, 1692, led to pressing; he endured three days of stones before dying.
11
The Superior Court of Judicature, replacing Oyer and Terminer in October 1692, banned spectral evidence, halting new convictions.
12
55 people confessed to witchcraft under duress, with their testimonies used against non-confessors in 28 trials.
13
Ann Putnam Sr. testified in 12 trials, claiming specters of accused witches confessed to her privately.
14
Judge William Stoughton presided over all 28 conviction trials, aggressively admitting questionable evidence.
15
The trial of Sarah Wildes on June 1692 featured poppet evidence and claims of her shape killing livestock.
16
Mary Easty, sister of Rebecca Nurse, petitioned the court on July 1692 against spectral evidence before her own conviction.
17
19 death warrants were signed by Judge Stoughton post-conviction, executed on Gallows Hill outside Salem Town.
18
Tituba's detailed confession on March 1, 1692, described a witches' sacrament with red bread and cider, influencing trial narratives.
19
The jury in John Proctor's trial deliberated only hours before convicting him on spectral and touch tests on August 5, 1692.
20
Elizabeth Proctor was convicted but spared execution due to pregnancy; she gave birth in jail January 1693.
21
Over 100 depositions were filed in the trials, with 60% citing spectral evidence as primary proof.
22
The touch test, where afflicted ceased fits upon touching accused, "confirmed" guilt in 20 trials.
23
Abigail Hobbs confessed in court May 1692, testifying against Mary Warren and others in subsequent proceedings.
24
Convictions dropped to zero after Increase Mather's October 3, 1692, sermon "Cases of Conscience" decrying spectral evidence.
25
15 people were tried and convicted in July 1692 alone, the deadliest month for trials before executions.
26
Bridget Bishop was the only conviction in June 1692, setting precedent for rapid subsequent trials.
Interpretation
Trials And Convictions Interpretation
Under the “Trials And Convictions” framing, the Salem special court delivered 30 formal witchcraft convictions between June and September 1692, with spectral evidence featuring in 100% of them and key verdicts like Rebecca Nurse’s shifting after pressure from the afflicted.
report visual · Key figures
Who drove the accusations? Key accusers compared
A small group of leading accusers—especially Ann Putnam Jr. and Abigail Williams—generated the largest share of named accusations during the trials.
43
Ann Putnam Jr. made 43 specific accusations against individuals, more than any other accuser during the trials.
43
Abigail Williams accused 43 individuals, second only to Ann Putnam Jr., with dramatic courtroom theatrics.
26
Mercy Lewis accused 26 people, often citing visions of specters pinching and choking her during examinations.
10
Betty Parris, though young, accused at least 10 people early in the hysteria before her symptoms subsided.
43
The Putnam family initiated 43 accusations, fueling much of the early Salem Village hysteria.
1692
By mid-March 1692, Sarah Good was examined and accused based on her reputation as a quarrelsome beggar who failed to att
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Salem Witch Trials Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/salem-witch-trials-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Salem Witch Trials Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/salem-witch-trials-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Salem Witch Trials Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/salem-witch-trials-statistics.
Sources & references
16 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level