1692 Salem, Massachusetts was the sight of the worst case of mass hysteria in American history! It started with the ravings of 4 young girls and ended with the imprisonment of hundreds and the deaths of 24 men and women all accused of the sin of witchcraft! When the infamous Salem Witch Trials were over, 19 men and women were hanged to death on Gallows Hill, 4 died in prison, and one defiant man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death beneath a board and stones in a torturous attempt to obtain a confession.
300 years later, many of the historic sights in Salem, Mass. are still preserved for generations to come. The Salem cemetery, (the 2nd oldest cemetery in the country), still holds the final resting places for many of the 'Witch Trial' participants and, though the tombstones are worn from time they are still legible. The original homes of accused witch, Rebecca Nurse, and trial Judge Jonathan Corwin still stand as a reminder that "those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it."