The Salem Witch Trials was America's most famous episode of witchcraft hysteria. The belief in witches was carried to American colonies from Europe were thousands had been executed for the crime. The Salem Witch Trials began when two young girls in the household of Reverend Samuel Parris began to act strangely. The girls had participated in a meeting where incantations had been cast and they had attempted to foretell the future. They were examined by a doctor, ministers, and magistrated who decided that they were bewitched. The hearings began on March 1st and by the middle of May, the two were in jail awaiting trial. Jurors were drawn from church membership lists and the chained defendants had no councel. In early June, Bridget Bishop was convicted. After was a brief delay because some of the jurors were unsure about the evidence, the testimony's were all from people who had seen or heard things but had not had any other witness but themselves. By September 22nd, the court had tried and convicted. Nineteen of them were hanged and one named Giles Corey was pressed to death by stones. There was also 50 people who had confessed, 100 were in prison, awaiting trial, and accusations of another 200. With the jails over flowing, Cotton Mather agued against the mass convictions and some clergy began to criticize the evidence. The governor then then intervened and freed all those who were in jail. Because of this action, the jurors admitted to the errors that they had made and judge Samuel Sewell publicly confessed his culpability as did Rev. John Hale who was the chief witness against Bridget Bishop. In 1711, heirs of the alleged witches were rewarded compensation for their losses.