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One of the most famous witch trials happened in Salem, Massachusetts. The first European settlers to arrive in Massachusetts were called Puritans. Puritans believed strongly in the Bible. They thought "good" people were Christians and bad people were, of course, witches. Good people worked hard six days a week and went to church on the seventh. Anyone who sinned was punished by published humiliation. It was a scary time to be a child. Any time a child was disobedient, their parents would say the devil would get them, and told them to pray to God for forgiveness.
In 1626, Salem Town was founded and in 1630, Puritans began to settle in Salem Village. The witch hysteria began in 1689 after Parson Samuel Parris became the village's preacher. Parson Parris's daughter, 9 year-old Elizabeth, and her cousin, 11 year-old Abigail, soon began to act strangely.
Some people believed the children were scared. Others think the girls enjoyed the attention they were getting and were just making trouble. Can you imagine how powerful you would feel if you got angry at your brother or sister, told someone they were a thief, and the police put them in jail just because you said that? When the Salem girls pointed to an adult and said that person was a witch, the townspeople put them in jail.
Another theory is that the girls ate moldy bread. Some people think the rye grain they used to make bread got moldy over the damp winter months. The bread made from this ruined grain had hallucinogenic effects. That means the girls believed they were really seeing and feeling things that weren't actually there.
Check out the dates below to see what happened.
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