The Salem Witch trials: A group of girls in 1692, inflicted by strange ailments, began to accuse their ‘tormentors,’ leading to a year of trials, arrests, and hanging of supposed witches. Courts hung 19 women and men by September 1692 and convicted many more into May of 1693. However, of these various victims, how many were actually witches? What actually happened in Salem? Evidence suggests that the initial physical ailments were caused by something consumed by the individuals, who, upon seeing the effectiveness of their accusations, continued pointing people out as witches. Then, due to mass hysteria and societal pressure, more and more innocents ‘outed’ themselves under duress as witches. The physical symptoms people initially experienced were likely due to something consumed, yet from …show more content…
It also sounds of Ergot Poisoning – which can cause tingling, convulsions, and hallucinations – as another possible cause of these ailments, which fits the symptoms. However, document 10 also demonstrates the fear of witches and the very belief that witchcraft is a genuine cause of physical wrongs: “And at length one physician gave his opinion that they were under an evil hand.” Thus, the genuine belief in witchcraft and physical symptoms caused by something medically admissible likely started the hysteria. When the accusations began, the accusers were brought to confirm their tormentors. However, their ‘fits’ almost seemed calculated and controllable. In document 15, Mr. Hathorne, the judge, asks the children to look at Ms. Good, the accused, and to confirm her as their tormenter, and they “said this was one of the persons that did torment them [to which afterwards] they were all tormented.” Perhaps it is indeed not a coincidence that looking at their tormenter causes more torment; yet, document 11 describes more instances of falling to fits, with even more suspicious