# Salem witch trials (1692)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1692-salem-witch-trials
Location: Salem, Massachusetts
Themes: Persecution

Twenty people are executed for witchcraft in Puritan Massachusetts. At this point in the timeline (1692), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Innocent XII (12 July 1691 – 27 September 1700).

## Why it matters
Salem witch trials mattered because it shows how Christians and others suffered for faith and how violence shaped the church's memory and identity.

Pope at the time: [Pope Innocent XII](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-innocent-xii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Salem witch trials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Salem witch trials](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Salem+witch+trials)
- [Wikipedia — Enlightenment and Revival (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity#Modern_era)