Elizabeth Parris (November 28, 1682 – March 21, 1760) was one of the young girls who accused other people of being witches during the Salem witch trials. The accusations made by Parris and her cousin Abigail Williams caused the direct death of 20 Salem residents: 19 were hanged, while another, Giles Corey, was pressed to death.
Early life
Parris was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 28, 1682. His family, including his wife Elizabeth, son Thomas, daughters Betty and Susannah, Abigail Williams, and Tituba all moved from Boston to join Parris in Salem. By contract, Parris and his family were granted to live in the ministry house and owned the land around it. The house accommodated the whole Parris family including Abigail, Tituba, and another slave by the name of John.
Salem witch trials
Overview
In 1692, the Salem witch trials broke out after several girls claimed to be targeted by a 'devilish hand'. After several months, over 150 men, women, and children were charged with witchcraft and sorcery. The Trials were diminishing around September 1692 when the public began to resist the idea of witchcraft. Eventually, the Massachusetts General Court granted freedom to all those accused of sorcery and apologized to their families for the hardships created by the Salem witch trials.
Betty Parris' role
Shortly after Samuel Parris' affairs with the church in 1692, his daughter Elizabeth (Betty) Parris and niece Abigail Williams seemed to go missing for short periods of time. "... Along with other New England youth, Elizabeth and Abigail had been led away with little Sorceries" (105).
Arthur Miller's 1952 play The Crucible is loosely based on actual events that Betty/Elizabeth Parris and other contributing characters faced during the actual Salem Witch Trials in the 1600s. Some aspects of the play are accurate in comparison to the real event while others are not. According to all reliable sources, She is a supporting character as a 10-year-old girl who falls under a strange illness, which leads to dissembling a bunch of young women's behavior and, soon, many accusations of witchcraft against other citizens of Salem.