Salem, MA

 

Salem, MA lies on Massachusetts Bay between Salem Harbor, which divides the city from much of neighboring Marblehead to the southeast, and Beverly Harbor, which divides the city from Beverly along with the Danvers River, which feeds into the harbor. Between the two harbors lies Salem. Salem lies 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Boston. Salem city's cultural identity is reflective of is role and the location of the Salem witch trials of 1692. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people, most of them women. Although the last trial was held in May 1693, public response to the events has continued. In the decades following the trials, the issues primarily had to do with establishing the innocence of the individuals who were convicted and compensating the survivors and families. In the following centuries, the descendants of those unjustly accused and condemned have sought to honor their memories. The story of the witchcraft accusations, trials and executions has captured the imagination of writers and artists in the centuries since the event took place.Tourism is the backbone of Salem's economy and is based on the 1692 witch trials dates back to at least the first half of the 20th century, when dry goods merchant Daniel Low sold souvenir spoons with witch images. Such tourism expanded significantly in the 1970s, when the television situation comedy Bewitched filmed several episodes in the city.Witch-related tourism expanded significantly in the 1990s with the movie Hocus Pocus, and the city added an official "Haunted Happenings" celebration during the October tourist season