Witch Trials Theory

My theory of the Salem Witch trials is quite simple. I believe that these trials were fueled by panic, stress, and rumor. I say rumor, due to the fact that young, adolecent girls usually seem to spread the word a lot. Girls followed strict rules withtin their religion, as well as boys, BUT, girls were usually tending to the house. They never got outside, as boys did to hunt, and explore the outdoors, as written in Evidence Set C: Puritan Children. Now, it is said at Evidence D: Salem Villager Biographies, villager "Samuel Parris", that girls, specifically his daughter Betty, and his niece Abigail Williams, at this time had one more form of entertainment. They gathered in small groups involving in fortune telling. Blatently, girls must have

Now, as stated in Evidence Set A: Life in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692, it is stated that, "Farming was often a painstaking task in he harsh climate and rough, rocky terrain- and a drought or flood could ruin a year 's harvest." It is also said in the same section that small pox could easily wipe out a family. Due to the fact they were living in such harsh times, people probably still consumed rotten crop in cause of hunger. It is said in Samuel Parris ' biography that his daughter, Betty, eventually participated in such events as forutne telling, as i said above. Well, it is stated that, "Perhaps out of fear of the repercussions of participating in these forbidden games, Betty began to develop strange symptoms." Now, some of these symptoms included pinching, prickling, and choking sensations. I believe that these symptoms arose from possible crop she has consumed. She could have consumed a crop that was rotten, or hadn 't developed to its peak, and she could have developed a sickness and/or had an allergy to this crop. The symptoms stated were viewed as supernatural, and a physician concluded to the symptoms being