The Salem Witch Trials began in the spring of 1692. It began whenever two young women in Salem Village, Massachusetts started acting very strangely out of nowhere. Betty Paris and Abagail Williams screamed and threw fits making accusations that they could see and be controlled by spirits of the devil. A frenzy spread through Salem Village through the colonial Massachusetts whenever the two young women accused people in the town of witchcraft. They claimed that had seen these other people in visions performing the devils work. At this time, most villagers were Puritans, so magic was strictly forbidden. Although the witch trials aimed to rid the community of the devil, the event negatively influenced society in the late 1600’s because people were falsely convicted, it was inhumane, …
Belief in the supernatural had surfaced in Europe during the 14th century. Supernatural belief was spread throughout the colonial New England. The rough reality of life in the Puritan community of Salem Village had settled in through the community. This included the effects after a British war concerning France that took place in the American colonies. A recent smallpox epidemic broke through communities and fears of attacks from the Native American tribes neighboring them still lingered after the war. Also, a longstanding and unforgettable rivalry with the community of Salem Village still existed. Because of these uprising tensions, the Salem witch trials were brought about by the