The Salem witch trials
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Teacher preview: this event includes loss, violence, discrimination, or a criminal case. Choose a suitable reading together. No reenactment of harm is needed.
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All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.
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Words to know
- accuse
- say that someone did something wrong
- evidence
- information that helps support or question a claim
- fair
- treating people justly
People accused neighbors of witchcraft. Courts accepted claims without sound proof. Nineteen people were hanged. Giles Corey also died because of the court’s actions. Others died in jail. These were real people, not storybook witches.
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What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?
Follow-up: The Boston News-Letter
The Boston News-Letter began in 1704. It became the first continuously published newspaper in English America. An earlier Boston newspaper had lasted one issue. Newspapers help us study what people chose to report.
How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.
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Check the evidence
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Original site illustration. Image source and rights ↗
Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.
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