What do we know about the "Salem Witch Trials"? All we know is what has been written. Between 1682 and 1693, several towns' people were tried and hanged for being accused of witchcraft.
I want to take you through the events that caused such hysteria among the small village in Salem, Massachusetts. To understand the events of the Salem witch trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occured. There were the ordinary stresses of 17th century life in Massachusetts Bay Colony. A strong belief in the devil, factions among Salem village fanatics and rivalry with nearby Salem Town. A recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion.Soon prisons were filled with more than 150 men and women from towns surrounding Salem. …
