Rebecca Nurse

American colonist

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July 21, 2026

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Rebecca Nurse was an American colonist accused during the Salem witch trials in 1692. These trials took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and resulted in the execution of 19 individuals convicted of witchcraft, with many others imprisoned. The events were fueled by a combination of factors, including church politics, family feuds, and mass hysteria, occurring in a community experiencing social division and a lack of political authority.12

Nurse, a respected member of the community, was among those accused. Despite her standing, she was convicted and subsequently hanged on August 19, 1692. The trials eventually ended when Governor William Phips halted the proceedings that allowed "spectral evidence" and established a new court that did not admit such testimony. By May 1693, all remaining accused individuals were pardoned.12

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Salem witch trials
Three witches
…of the community, beginning with Rebecca Nurse, a mature woman of some prominence. As the weeks passed, many of the accused proved to be enemies of the Putnams, and Putnam family members and in-laws would end up being the accusers in dozens of cases.
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…of the community, beginning with Rebecca Nurse, a mature woman of some prominence. As the weeks passed, many of the accused proved to be enemies of the Putnams, and Putnam family members and in-laws would end up being the accusers in dozens of cases.
Read More