In the late 1600s, a series of accusations resulted in nearly two dozen people in New England being put to death for supposedly practicing witchcraft. This incident has become known as the Salem Witch Trials. Who were the accused witches? What caused this to occur? In 1600s Colonial America, belief in the supernatural was very common. Many people attributed failing crops, family illnesses, or death to witchcraft. For example, if the family’s livestock had unexpectedly died, this might have been seen as a sign that a witch had cursed their family. It was these beliefs that helped fuel the hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. In late January and early February of 1692, two girls living in Salem Village, Betty Parris (age 9) and Abigail Williams (age 11), began exhibiting unusual behavior. The girls threw things, screamed, wedged themselves underneath furniture, made bizarre sounds, and twisted themselves into odd positions. They also complained of odd sensations, such as the feeling that they were being pricked with pins. Other girls within the village also began displaying similar symptoms. Yet, the doctor who examined each of them could find no known physical ailment afflicting them. Certain individuals within the community became convinced that the girls had been cursed by a witch. Various efforts were made to identify who the witch might be. For example, a “touch test” was used. While one of the victims was having a fit, a group of accused women were asked to lay their hands on her (one at a time). If the fit subsided, whoever was touching her at that moment was accused of being the witch who had cursed her. Another method used to identify the witch was known as a “witch cake.” A cake was made using rye meal and urine from the afflicted girl. The cake was then fed to a dog. The belief was that the witch would experience intense physical pain when the cake was eaten, and this would identify her as a witch. Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and a slave woman named Tituba were the first three to be arrested. Sarah Good was a homeless woman who had probably been accused simply because of her reputation in the community. Sarah Osborne rarely attended church, and the townspeople believed she only had her own self-interests in mind. It has been long believed that Tituba had entertained the local girls with stories about witches and fortune-telling games. The citizens of Salem Village, and nearby Salem Town, began seeing witchcraft everywhere. In March of 1692, four more women were arrested. One was arrested simply because she dared to question whether the girls’ symptoms were real, or if they were just pretending. Another was accused because she wore black clothing and other outfits which the villagers deemed “odd.” As 1692 continued, more accusations were made and more individuals were arrested. The homes of the accused women were searched, and any evidence was seized upon as an example of witchcraft. If ointments or healing herbs were found, this was sure evidence that they might be a witch. Of course, many of these women did have such items because they acted as midwives, nurses, or assisted villagers who were sick. Those who were accused were placed on trial. If they were found guilty, the punishment was death. By the time the hysteria ended, fourteen women and five men had been hanged, and one man was crushed beneath a pile of heavy stones. No one is quite sure what caused the sudden panic over witches in Salem Village and nearby Salem Town in 1692. Some have simply attributed it to mass psychogenic illness, or mass hysteria. Rampant accusations and fear fueled the frenzy which eventually led to the executions. Deeply held religious beliefs, and the superstitions of the day, also helped drive the events forward. Mass hysteria could also help explain the mysterious “affliction” of the village girls. Seeing friends exhibit certain unexplained behaviors might have led to other girls believing that they too were suffering the same symptoms. Others suggest that the real cause of the Salem Witch Trials was a long-standing feud between different families in Salem Village. The little community was strongly divided into different groups who struggled with each other for dominance within the village. It is possible that the parents of the “afflicted” girls manipulated the situation in order to remove opposing forces within the town. Other theories have been suggested as well. Some have speculated that the townspeople had been poisoned by eating large amounts of moldy rye which contains a chemical which can cause hallucinations and erratic behavior. Still others have suggested that perhaps the “afflicted” girls simply enjoyed the power they held over the entire village, since others would do anything to avoid having an accusatory finger cast in their direction. Regardless of the cause, the hysteria surrounding the trials continued into the next year, but eventually reached a conclusion in May of 1693. Twenty people had lost their lives, and Salem Village had forever earned its mark in the history books.