Witches Were Burned At The Stake During The Salem Witch Trials

Between May and October 1692, a series of inquiries and prosecutions known as the Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts, a predominantly Puritan community. It was widely believed by everyone in the community that witches were to blame for a sudden outbreak of convulsions and violent contortions in a number of young girls. It is regarded as a significant occurrence of the witch-burning era in contemporary times, which was popular in Europe at the same time.

But in Salem, no witches were ever set on fire. The majority of the accused witches during the trials were hanged as required by English law at the time, unlike their counterparts across the Atlantic. The legend of the witches being burned at the Salem trials probably originated from its comparison to the European witch trials, where being burned at the stake was still a common punishment for suspected witchcraft up to the 18th century.