Salem Witch Trials

Anthony S, Keyla R, Cameron S

Where and When
The Salem witch trials
started in 1692 in
Salem with a group of
young women believe
they were possessed
by the devil.

This happened in the

Village of Salem
What Started the Accusations
Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, and Ann Putnam, Jr. were told voodoo tales by their
slave, Tituba. They started having fits; screaming, throwing things, mumbling
weird sounds, and having weird contortions. The local doctor blamed the
supernatural.
The Trials
Out of the three blamed woman, Tituba was the only one to confess that “The
Devil came to me and bid me serve him”

The town thought that if she could be a witch then anyone else could be too

One of the six executed men, Giles Corey, was crushed to death by stones

More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft

20 were executed including children and dogs

 The Aftermath
After the Salem witch trials people were very paranoid. The Salem witch
trials also contributed to court changes due to the unjust way these “witches”
were dealt with. The witch trials also remain a symbol for the minority groups in
the 20th and 21st century’s. They also serve as a lesson for us to not change the
laws for specific groups because we want them to receive justice.
Possible Theory
One modern day theory is grains like rye, wheat, and other cereals contained
the fungus ergot. This can cause delusions, vomiting, and muscle spasms. This
theory can’t be proven but is believed could be the reason for people to be
“bewitched”.

Another theory is that the strange behavior could be caused by a

combination of asthme, encephalitis, lyme disease, epilepsy, child abuse,
delusional psychosis, or convulsive ergotism.

Convulsive ergotism is caused by the fungus ergot, and can cause

hallucinations. LSD is a derivative of ergot.
 SOURCES
https://www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials

https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/salem-witch-trials

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/07/the-witches-of-salem

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/

http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/home.html

https://historyofmassachusetts.org/salem-witch-trials-primary-sources/

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/witches-curse-clues-evidence/1501/