Featured Project: Salem Witch Trials

Posted June 3, 2011 by Amanda | One Comment

Do you have an ancestor who was involved in the Salem witch trials? This week we highlight the Salem Witch Trials: Colonial America in 1692 project.

The goal of this project is to discover our ancestors involved in the notorious “Salem Witch Trials,” validate their family trees and our own connections to them, and create quality, genealogically valid mini biographies for the Profiles.

If you’re interested in helping out, join the project’s collaborators! Perhaps you may discover new connections in your family tree. Check out a few of the notable profiles included:

Ann Putnam, Jr. – She was an important witness during the Salem Witch Trials. At the age of 12, she claimed to be afflicted by witchcraft and testified against several accused in court. Fourteen years after the trials, she offered an apology for her role during the trials.

John Hawthorne – Hawthorne was a Salem magistrate and judge in the Salem Witch Trials. His methods we very accusatory, often badgering the accused for a confession and to name other witches.
Cotton Mather – He was a Puritan minister and consultant in the Salem Witch Trials.
Rebecca Nurse – Although she was a well respected member of the community, Nurse was found guilty of being a witch and was executed.
Martha Carrier – She was accused of starting a smallpox epidemic and executed for witchcraft. Carrier maintained her innocence throughout the trial, even after those around her confessed.