First Execution of the Salem Witch Trials

Historical Overview

The hanging of Bridget Bishop on Gallows Hill marked the first execution of the Salem witch trials. Bishop, a local tavern owner known for her non-conforming lifestyle, was quickly convicted by a newly established special court and executed. Her death initiated a months-long period of mass hysteria in colonial Massachusetts, which ultimately claimed the lives of 20 innocent individuals.

Witchcraft at Salem Village. Engraving. The central figure in this 1876 illustration of the courtroom is usually identified as Mary Walcott.

Author: unattributed