Alse Young Hanged: First Witch Execution in America
Alse Young became the first person executed for witchcraft in the thirteen American colonies when Connecticut authorities hanged her in Hartford during May 1647. Her conviction likely stemmed from a desire to seize her husband's estate, as she had no sons to inherit it. This grim precedent established that even without physical proof of harm, colonial courts would kill neighbors they suspected of witchcraft.
May 27, 1647
379 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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