What happened after the Salem witch trials?
The story of the Salem witch trials began in January of 1692 when Rev. Samuel Parris’s daughter and niece fell ill and the attending physician, William Griggs, gave a diagnosis of bewitchment. More illnesses and accusations followed.Court DissolvedGovernor Phipps of Massachusetts set up court in Salem in 1692. He later dissolved the court and replaced it with a Superior Court of Judicature, and spectral evidence (things seen in dreams or trances) was not allowed. By May 1693 all were pardoned.RecantsFor the victims, life did not return to normal. They had lost the right to their properties and possessions and many lost their homes. Farms were not harvested and the entire community suffered.The AftermathIn 1702, the courts declared the trials unlawful and, in 1711, the colony passed a bill giving back the victims their rights and restitution to their heirs.Theories/SpeculationAs to the mysterious illnesses, the theory considered most likely is the ingestion of a fungus found in rye. It
