What events led to the salem witch trial in the 1690s?

Answer 1

We coverd this in early American history class in college.

Depends on who you ask. One historian noted that the people living on the outskirts of Salem wanted to succeed to form their own community with their own mayor and city council, but Salem opposed this. Most of the accused "witches" seemed to be political rivals of the accusers (and you thought that political mud slinging was a modern phenomena).

Apparently the trigger for the witch trials was when a group of girls, influenced by stories of African voodoo from African slaves kept by the colonists, played a game where they fell into a make believe seizure and claimed to have been processed by spirits. The town's people panicked and begin to blame their enemies for the problems.

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...The Salem that became the new home of Parris was in the midst of change: a mercantile elite was beginning to develop, prominent people were becoming less willing to assume positions as town leaders, two clans (the Putnams and the Porters) were competing for control of the village and its pulpit, and a debate was raging over how independent Salem Village, tied more to the interior agricultural regions, should be from Salem, a center of sea trade.

Sometime during February of the exceptionally cold winter of 1692, young Betty Parris became strangely ill. She dashed about, dove under furniture, contorted in pain, and complained of fever. The cause of her symptoms may have been some combination of stress, asthma, guilt, child abuse, epilepsy, and delusional psychosis, but there were other theories. Cotton Mather had recently published a popular book, "Memorable Providences," describing the suspected witchcraft of an Irish washerwoman in Boston, and Betty's behavior in some ways mirrored that of the afflicted person described in Mather's widely read and discussed book. It was easy to believe in 1692 in Salem, with an Indian war raging less than seventy miles away (and many refugees from the war in the area) that the devil was close at hand. Sudden and violent death occupied minds. ...

Answer 2

We have no idea - in the "crucible" which was based on it, but not actually factual, she ran away and became a prostitute. Here is the scenario referenced in "Echoes Down the Corridor" which is at the end of The Crucible, by Arthur Miller) it says that "The legend has it that Abigail turned up later as a prostitute in Boston." However, given the use of the word "legend," it is presumed the accusation is most likely false. The last claim states Abigail died from a common Sexually transmitted disease in colonial Massachusetts during that time period. Although there is no definite evidence of what happened to Williams after the trials ended, one reference stated she "apparently died before the end of 1697, if not sooner, no older than seventeen." I don't think you can make a 5 page paper out of that, you'd better find a different subject.

Answer 3

A very rainy season, because from a few different articles on the subject, it seems as if it were "ergot poisoning" from a mold that grows on rye plants. That is why it appeared in the poorer people, not only were they more likely to eat rye instead of high priced wheat, but they also lived in the lower or poorer farms. From correspondence of the time, it was very rainy at that time.

Ergot poisoning causes a reaction that can appear psychotic, as if the person were on LSD.

Answer 4

Watch the Divinci Code it pretty much explains it.

Answer 5

It was all about land ownership.

Answer 6

Girls just wanna have fun!