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I would have to argue with a bit of that . Yes the word itself didnt exist untill that latter date but the term was created to identifiy poeple of similar religous veiws and beliefs. There are many of us who are witches. Now most pagan/witch/wiccan dont beileve there is a devil , as many people dont beileve there are witches. Back then any woman with power was a problem for men in power and a religion that worshiped both couldnt co-exist with one that celebrated only one. So originaly yes I think many of them were witches , and persicuted for their religon. As time went on people realised that this was a conveinent way to be rid of an enemy lawfully. So latter on , no they probably had just as much in common with witches as most catholics and protestants today do.
So originally ( a long time ago medieval or erlier ) yes witches , more recently ( Salem) No, inocents.

A good chunk were innocent. I don't want to repeat what others have said but I will contribute this one little peice that I haven't seen:

When Christian societies started to get bigger in more popular areas, places that were further in the country still had their old faith. Many times these places that were less connected were deemed bad merely because they practiced the old faith rather than the new one. Some of the trials were resualts of this disconnectedness.