Bridget Bishop was accused as a witch in the Salem witch trials of 1692. She was the first person executed in the trials.
Why Was She Accused?
Some historians speculate that a reason Bridget Bishop was accused in the 1692 Salem witchcraft "craze" was that her second husband's children wanted the property that she had possession of as an inheritance from Oliver.
Other historians classify her as someone who was an easy target because her behavior was often disagreeable in a community that valued harmony and obedience to authority, or because she violated community norms by having associated with the wrong people, keeping "unseasonable" hours, hosting drinking and gambling parties, and behaving immorally. She was known for publicly fighting with her husbands (she was in her third marriage when accused in 1692). She was known for wearing a scarlet bodice, considered a bit less "Puritan" than was acceptable to some in the community.
Read Full Article »