In Salem, Massachusetts, see when the witch trials began and why many of the accused needed to confess, in this clip from I Was There. Join Theo Wilson for new episodes of #IWasThere, Mondays at 10/9c on The HISTORY Channel. | HISTORY

Salem is famous for the witch trials that took place there in 1692. Historians explore the broken politics, complex history and local rivalries that resulted in mass hysteria and the supposed bewitchment of girls from the village, that led to mass scale accusations of witchcraft. Tune in to Witches: Truth Behind The Trials on Wednesdays at 8pm on National Geographic UK. | National Geographic UK

Today, in the year 1692, the second execution day took place during the Salem witch trials. On this day, between eight o'clock and noon, Rebecca Nurse, Susanna Martin, Elizabeth How, Sarah Good and Sarah Wildes were transported by cart from the Salem jail to Proctor's Ledge. Each of these women, innocent of the charges brought against them, now faced a public death by hanging. While we can only imagine the emotions and thoughts felt by these women as they reached the gallows, the records give us