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What kind of evidence was presented during the Salem Witch Trials, and how reliable was it?

Janette Switsur

During the Salem Witch Trials, people believed that some women were doing magic that hurt others. The evidence used during the trials was not very good, but people believed it back then.

Some evidence was just rumors and stories that people heard about the witches. Other evidence was what people said they saw or heard. But sometimes, people lied to make the witches look guilty even if they were not.

There were also "tests" to see if someone was a witch. People thought that if a accused witch could not cry tears, then they were a witch. But that test was wrong. Sometimes people could not cry because they were afraid or sad. Also, some people believed that if a person floated in water, they were a witch. But it turns out that anyone can float in water, especially if they are wearing heavy clothes.

The judges in the trials did not always listen to people who said they were innocent. They even used torture to make people confess to being a witch. This evidence was not reliable at all, because people would say anything just to stop the torture.

So, in the end, the evidence used during the Salem Witch Trials was not very good. Today, we know that witches are not real and that the trials were unfair. We need to learn from our mistakes and treat everyone fairly, even if we do not always agree with them.