American History Tellers Salem Witch Trials | Specter of Injustice | 3
Oct 4, 2023
The podcast discusses the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, focusing on the establishment of an emergency court, the use of spectral evidence, the trial and consequences faced by accused witches, and the tragic false confessions and breaking of innocence.
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Margaret Jacobs' Forced Confession
- Margaret Jacobs was coerced to falsely confess and implicate her grandfather under threat of hanging.
- This confession tactic became a strategy to extract more accusations in the trials.
Governor Phips and Spectral Evidence
- The newly appointed Governor William Phips established a court to try witches despite no prior legal framework.
- Chief Justice Stoughton insisted on admitting spectral evidence despite concerns of its reliability.
Bridget Bishop’s Trial and Execution
- Bridget Bishop faced trial as the first to be executed and exemplified the court's emphasis on spectral evidence.
- Her conviction set a precedent making spectral evidence a primary legal justification for death sentences.