Final answer:
In 1692, twenty people were executed for witchcraft in Salem, nineteen by hanging and one by pressing. Several dogs were also killed based on witchcraft accusations.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the infamous Salem witch trials in 1692, a total of twenty people were executed for the crime of witchcraft. Nineteen of them were hung, while one man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea. Additionally, several dogs were killed during the witch scares on the suspicion of being involved in witchcraft. The tragic events occurred amidst a period of great tension and mass hysteria, predicated on a strong belief in the supernatural by the Puritans, where any misfortune could be attributed to the work of the devil.
The trials eventually came to a halt in 1693, after pressure from the educated elite of Boston when the wife of Governor Phipps and other well-connected individuals were accused. It was then that the courts began to see the error in relying heavily on spectral evidence, leading to the eventual reversal of the convictions and indemnity offered to the victims and their families.