Tuesday Headlines: May 26, 2026

Here's a quick overview of our top stories for Tuesday, May 26, 2026:

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TOP HEADLINES:

Suspect arrested after a deadly shooting in Bozeman

Montana Land Board changes procedure for state land swaps

MSU's BART Farm gives students hands-on learning experience

Flags, Horses and Heartfelt Tributes Mark Memorial Day in Bozeman

THAT’S INTERESTING:

Interesting Facts About Colonial American Witch Trials

The First Execution - Alse Young (1647)

• Alse Young was indeed the first recorded person executed for witchcraft in all American colonies on May 26, 1647, in Hartford, Connecticut
• She was from Windsor, Connecticut, and was hanged at Meeting House Square (now the site of Connecticut's Old State House)
• Her execution was recorded by both Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop and Windsor town clerk Matthew Grant, who simply wrote: "May 26, '47 Alse Young was hanged"
• An influenza epidemic was sweeping through Windsor in early 1647, which may have contributed to suspicions against her

Connecticut's Dark Legacy

• Connecticut had witch trials 45 years before Salem (1647-1663), making them America's first large-scale witch hunts
• Between 1647 and 1697, approximately 46 people were tried for witchcraft in Connecticut, with at least 11 executions
• Connecticut was more conviction-heavy than Massachusetts - between 1647-1654, Connecticut convicted and hanged all seven people charged, while Massachusetts acquitted half of those brought to trial
• The Hartford Witch Panic of 1662 saw three people executed within several weeks

Legal Framework

• In 1642, Connecticut made witchcraft one of 12 capital crimes, stating: "If any man or woman be a witch—that is, hath or consulteth with a familiar spirit—they shall be put to death"
• The law was based on biblical passages, particularly Exodus 22:18 ("Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live") and Leviticus 20:27
• Connecticut held its final witch trial in 1697, a full half-century after Alse Young's execution

Notable Cases and Patterns

• Mary Johnson became the first person to openly confess to witchcraft in Connecticut after extensive torture, admitting to "familiarity with the devil"
• Two men were also executed: John Carrington and Nathaniel Greensmith (both died alongside their wives)
• The town of Wethersfield was particularly affected, earning the nickname "Wethersfield Witches" from historians
• Most accusations targeted women who didn't conform to rigid Puritan social norms

Key Differences from Salem

• Connecticut trials were deadlier proportionally: 11 executions out of 46 accused vs. Salem's 19 executions out of 200+ accused
• Connecticut's witch hunting peaked in 1662 and largely ended before Salem even began (1692-1693)
• Salem was more grandiose: 156 people accused, 30 convictions, 19 executions in just over a year

The End of the Trials

• Governor John Winthrop Jr. (son of Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop) played a crucial role in ending Connecticut's witch trials
• By 1669, Winthrop implemented crucial reforms: burden of proof shifted to accusers, multiple witnesses required, and spectral evidence was questioned
• No witch executions occurred in Connecticut after 1662

Modern Recognition

• The Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project works to clear the names of those executed
• In 2017, Windsor became the first Connecticut town to officially exonerate its witch trial victims, clearing Alse Young and Lydia Gilbert
• Many court records from this period have been lost, making the exact number of victims uncertain

Historical Impact

• These Connecticut trials set legal and moral precedents that influenced the later Salem witch trials
• They represent one of the earliest examples of mass hysteria and persecution in American colonial history
• The trials reflect the dangerous intersection of Puritan religious extremism, social tensions, and fear of the unknown in early colonial society

Parts of this story were adapted for this platform with AI assistance. Our editorial team verifies all reporting across all platforms for fairness and accuracy.