How Did The Salem Witch Trial Cause The Hysteria Of 1692

What caused the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692? The Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692 was a series of persecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts from 1692 to the 1700s. This terrible event ended up with 20 dead people who were accused and executed. Eventually, this catastrophe ended, when the governor's wife was being accused. However, the reasonings behind this terrible event are still mostly unknown, and historians today, still ask: What caused the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692? So, this event first started in 1692, The unfortunate Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. After this began to gain popularity, many other people began to accuse each other, until large, monthly executions were being held. The accused “witch” was brought before a priest or a judge, which usually wasn't fair, and was either sentenced as guilty or innocent. According to U.S History, “The governor of the colony, upon hearing that his own wife was accused of witchcraft ordered an end to the trials. However, 20 people and 2

They mostly ate food like rye, which was able to grow fungus called ergot. This fungi may have affected the so-called witches. In particular, History Lists states, “If eaten, the fungus can cause hallucinations and convulsions similar to those that were reported to be experienced by the allegedly bewitched girls. And according to Linnda Caporael, professor at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute who introduced the ergot poisoning theory, all the conditions were right for the ergot spread just before the Witch Trials.” The effects of ergot in the rye was similar to the symptoms of the “victims.” of witches. In addition, the conditions during the witch trials proved to be beneficial to spread and grow ergot in the