Is it possible for 8 teens to start a widespread panic throughout your town by making false accusations? How is this dangerous?

Would a US court allow evidence that cannot be seen to convict and execute a defendant?

The witch hunts of 1692 led to 20 executions. Accusations made by several young girls led to the executions of twenty innocent people.
Nineteen innocent people were hanged and one was pressed to death. During an excruciating execution, Giles Corey’s last reported words were, “more rocks.”
The Salem Witch Trials shocked many students. Comparing and contrasting the Salem Witch Trials with the Japanese Internment Camps, McCarthyism, and the Holocaust enhanced students’ understanding. Want to earn extra credit and further your understanding? Respond to any or all of the questions in this post. Remember to use digital etiquette & the Writer’s Checklist to earn points.

Scapegoating is sprinkled throughout history and continues even today. Provide examples of Scapegoating in current events or the recent past.
Time travel back to 1692. Based on this primary source quote and the videos, explain Puritan society.
“Ah, children, be afraid of going prayerless to bed, lest the devil be your bedfellow.” – Cotton Mather

We watched the Discovery Channel’s “Salem Witch Trials” and the History Channel’s video that describes an alternate scenario as to why the young girls lied. Click HERE to watch.

Want to learn more? Click HERE to watch another Discovery Education video.