Salem
Salem is a city in Massachusetts, United States. It was the site of the infamous Salem witch trials in 1692.
History[edit | edit source]
Early beginnings[edit | edit source]
The city was founded by English Puritans, who received a charter from the monarchy granting them self-determination from the Church of England, in 1626 on the mouth of the Naumkeag river. The name was given to Salem Town and Salem Village, which was also part of the trials, and later renamed Danvers, Massachusetts.[1]
In the late 17th century, after the establishment of the colony, the people of Salem experienced numerous changes in the government affected by shifting politics and civil war in Britain and Massachusetts. Despite this and devastating winters, Salem Town engaged in trade, shipbuilding and fishing. However, the increased prosperity of the town caused tensions between the town and the village. The issue was couched in religious terms as the villagers sought autonomy and believed that the town had practiced individualism, a direct opposition to Puritan belief.[2]
In 1692, the Templar Samuel Parris, his wife Elizabeth, daughter Betty, niece Abigail Williams, and the house slave Tituba arrived in the Salem Village. Eventually, Salem Village was allowed its own church and was given the freedom to employ and support their own minister, a position Samuel Parris accepted.[2]
Discontented, this was not enough to stop the complaints of the people, and factions were built while the tensions and conflicts rose. The villagers refused to support Parris and his family, which led to each side's dismay.[2]
Witch trials[edit | edit source]
In February 1692, a young girl named Dorothy Osborne inexplicably became "ill", presenting symptoms which no one could explain. The situation caught the attention of Parris, who believed the illness to be the result of exposure to a Piece of Eden. For unknown reasons, Parris then pushed his daughter and niece to fake having the same seizures, which started a mass hysteria in the town as other women also became "ill". The Puritan Church declared that the illness was the work of the Devil, and neighbors began accusing each other of witchcraft, leading to their arrest.[1]
Parris' fellow Templar William Stoughton was appointed as the chief magistrate of the court tasked with judging the individuals accused of witchcraft. However, both Templars secretly used the trials as a pretext to search for the Piece of Eden which had supposedly caused the mass "illness". They imprisoned all women accused of witchcraft, including Osborne, as well as a mute boy named David, until they could conclude which of them had come into contact with the artifact.[1]
Meanwhile, the British Assassins also heard the rumors concerning the presence of a Piece of Eden in Salem, and sent the Master Assassin Thomas Stoddard to investigate.[3] Arriving in June 1692, Stoddard was met by two undercover Templar agents, whom he killed before the arrival of his real contact: the local Assassin and nurse Jennifer Querry. Together, the pair infiltrated the warehouse where the Templars held their captives, and freed Osborne and David, the former of whom promised to lead them to the Piece of Eden.[1]
Having learned of Stoddard's arrival in Salem, Stoughton convinced the townsfolk that the Assassin was the Devil incarnate and ordered them to capture him, despite Parris' protests.[1] A group of Puritans ambushed Stoddard, Querry, Osborne, and David, but the Master Assassin fought them off, allowing the group to flee into the swamp before more attackers arrived. However, Querry was shot during their escape, slowing her down and allowing the Templars to follow her to Stoddard and the others, whom they captured.[2]
Stoughton and Parris subsequently took their prisoners to a basement, where Stoddard and Querry were bound and tortured while the Templars tried to discern which of the two children was the "oracle" they sought. When Osborne suddenly became possessed by the Isu Consus, who delivered a cryptic message intended for Stoddard's descendant Charlotte de la Cruz, Querry seized the opportunity to free herself. However, she was shot and killed by Stoughton. Witnessing this, a remorseful Osborne decided to commit suicide by walking into a fire, foiling Stoughton's plans to use her to create more "oracles".[4]
Furious, the Templar decided to execute Stoddard, but was stopped by Parris, who shot his Templar brother in the arm. Disagreeing with Stoughton's violent methods, Parris declared that their mission in Salem was done, and was convinced by Stoddard to let him and David go. The Templar also handed Stoddard the keys to the cells holding the remaining captive women, allowing the Assassin to free them.[4]
Later, Stoddard buried Querry and Osborne on a hill outside Salem and reflected on his failed mission. Deciding to change his ways and become more compassionate, he adopted David, whom he deduced to be Querry's secret son. He gave the boy a copy of Dante's Inferno—a family heirloom—and offered to teach him how to read as the two left the city.[4]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]