29 February 1692: Salem Witch Trials Begin
On February 29, 1692, arrest warrants were issued for three women in Salem Village, Massachusetts, igniting one of the most notorious episodes of mass hysteria in American history—the Salem witch trials.
The accused were Tituba, an enslaved woman; Sarah Good, a homeless beggar; and Sarah Osborne, an elderly woman who rarely attended church. Their arrests followed weeks of bizarre behavior by young girls who claimed to be tormented by invisible forces.
Nine-year-old Betty Parris and her cousin Abigail Williams had begun experiencing fits, contorting their bodies and screaming that they were being pinched by unseen assailants. Under questioning, the girls named their supposed tormentors, and magistrates issued warrants on this leap day.
While Good and Osborne denied involvement in witchcraft, Tituba gave a dramatic confession, describing a tall man from Boston who made her sign the devil’s book. Her testimony electrified the community and convinced authorities that a satanic conspiracy was unfolding.
Over the following months, accusations multiplied. By the time the trials ended, twenty people had been executed. The Salem witch trials have become synonymous with the dangers of mass panic and false accusations.
