The Salem Witch Trials In The Summer Of 1692

The Salem Witch Trials In the summer of 1692, a series of unfortunate events occurred in Salem, Massachusetts, The Salem Witch Trials. These witch trials resulted in the deaths of a score of people, both men and women and imprisonment of more than 200 of the villages residents (Blumberg). There are endless reasons as to why the Puritan village went into hysterics, including but not limited to paranoia, the Puritan’s strict religion, conflict between residents, economic turmoil, an ongoing war, and unexplainable events(Linder).
In January of 1962, nine year old Betty Parris and eleven year old Abigail Williams began to have fits, which consisted of uncontrollable screaming and violent contortions, were diagnosed as bewitchment by the local physician, William Griggs (Linder). After this diagnosis occurred other girls began showing similar symptoms as Abigail and Betty; because of the outbreak of these symptoms, and the belief that witches targeted children, hysteria spread and the chance of witches in Salem seemed to become increasingly popular (Linder). However, the fits which were thought to be Satan possessing the girls, was scientifically proven to have ergot, a fungus which causes

Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn were the first three brought to trial with suspicion of being witches. Good and Osborn denied being witches or even being affiliated with any source of supernatural magics, however Tituba had confessed to being a witch (Salem Witch Trials). It is believed that Tituba confessed to being a witch in hope that the court would not kill her, but use her to expose the other “witches” (Linder). Because of Tituba’s confession the skeptical villagers were fully convinced of witches and so the Salem witch hunts began (Linder). These hunts imprisoned hundreds of innocent people and sent dozens to