An excellent film about the Salem Witch Trials

Last month I was introduced to an excellent new documentary about the Salem Witch Trials, Salem Witch Hunt.  The complete film is 30 minutes long, and available on Explore.org.  Here's the teaser:



This documentary points out some of the facts that are often lost to history, including:

• Men and women were accused of and condemned for witchcraft;
• The first people persecuted and killed were elderly (60 and 70 yrs old);
• Those who confessed were more likely to be spared than those who denied them;
• The trials were done according to best English principals at the time and the fate of the accused were  decided by land owning men; and 
• Towards the end the Governor got involved and issued pardons, sparing the lives of a few who had been convicted.

I also want to thank Charlie Annenberg and his team at Explore.org.  In addition to creating this documentary, and collaborating with local historians to do so, Explore.org has given back to the community, including a $25,000 grant to the Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice.  

There are lessons of tolerance to be learned every day from the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.  This film is a very good catalyst for understanding what happened and why.