Difference 1. William Phips established two courts: the Court of Oyer and Terminer for witchcraft cases. These courts were used to try citizens in Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex counties. (History) This means that people outside of Salem have been tried and hung too, unlike in the play, where people only from Salem were tried and hung.
Difference 2. In the play, only adults were either convicted or condemned. However in real life, children and animals were convicted or condemned. Sarah's Good's daughter, Dorcas Good, was a 4 year old girl that was accused. She spent 8 months in jail and witnessed her mother carried off to the gallows (Linder). Dogs were also executed because they were thought of as apprentices to witches (Linder).
Difference 3. The start of the witch hunt was not brought about by the girls dancing in the forest. In real life and the play, Betty Paris was sick with an illness that could not be identified. However, in actuality this was not simply a coma but violent fits and screaming (Linder). The girls began to copy her symptoms. When the doctor could not cure them, that is when the town looked for supernatural causes. In the play, only Ruth Putnam and Betty Parris were affected by a "sickness" that caused them to be in a coma. The other girls did not show signs of Ruth and Betty's sickness.
Sources:
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_ACCT.HTM
Linder, Douglas. "An Account of the Salem Witchcraft Investigations, Trials, and Aftermath."An Account of the Salem Witchcraft Investigations, Trials, and Aftermath. University of Missouri-Kansas City. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials
Staff, History.com. "Salem Witch Trials." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
Difference 2. In the play, only adults were either convicted or condemned. However in real life, children and animals were convicted or condemned. Sarah's Good's daughter, Dorcas Good, was a 4 year old girl that was accused. She spent 8 months in jail and witnessed her mother carried off to the gallows (Linder). Dogs were also executed because they were thought of as apprentices to witches (Linder).
Difference 3. The start of the witch hunt was not brought about by the girls dancing in the forest. In real life and the play, Betty Paris was sick with an illness that could not be identified. However, in actuality this was not simply a coma but violent fits and screaming (Linder). The girls began to copy her symptoms. When the doctor could not cure them, that is when the town looked for supernatural causes. In the play, only Ruth Putnam and Betty Parris were affected by a "sickness" that caused them to be in a coma. The other girls did not show signs of Ruth and Betty's sickness.
Sources:
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_ACCT.HTM
Linder, Douglas. "An Account of the Salem Witchcraft Investigations, Trials, and Aftermath."An Account of the Salem Witchcraft Investigations, Trials, and Aftermath. University of Missouri-Kansas City. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials
Staff, History.com. "Salem Witch Trials." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.