When one speaks of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 most people think of the massive tragedy in which many innocent women were embarrassed, jailed, and worst of all killed. What people do not think of is the actual cause for such an outrageous and absurd time in early America. Many theories have arisen over time about why these murders took place, many of which are possible and quite logical. However, as much as researchers and historians will try, Americans today may never factually know what the true cause of these trials were. There are three main theories which seem to be the most popular among researchers and historians alike. Many believe that the girls and women of the trials were victims of ergot poisoning. An illness contracted by the eating of infected bread, which can cause very unusual and unpleasant symptoms. Others say that the girls were truly bewitched, a theory that has been long since discarded by most. The true cause of these massive errors in society was merely conversion hysteria and “sporting.”

A very accepted and logical theory about the Salem Witch Trials was that the girls were victims of ergot poisoning. “Ergot is a disease of rye and other cerea

Despite all the controversy and different theories that have been brought up, all researchers and historians would have to agree that the Salem Witch Trials was a devastating loss, not only for the Salem community but for all of America. Many innocent women were murdered and tortured all because of a myth. It is truly a mysterious tragedy, one that may never be fully revealed to us in the here and now. It is still unknown in many ways and may take many more hundreds of years to uncover. Unless we can find a way to go back in time to Salem Village in 1692, one will never know the fear and true horror of what our ancestors had to face. Researching the different theories that have arisen, one can see that the only relevant and believable cause to this awful tragedy is conversion hysteria.

Another somewhat “old” theory is that the girls were truly bewitched by different women in Salem. During this time in American history the people believed very much in the idea of Satan and his powers to possess. Not many people would admit to taking part in such black magic, or even the “white” magic, which was fortune telling and palm reading. In his article “Salem Witchcraft,” Tim Sutter says that the parents of the girls first tried to take them to a physical doctor, but the doctor could not find any physical cause for their strange behavior and concluded the girls bewitched. The people of Salem literally feared witchcraft and believed that it was quite possible to become bewitched. The rumors ran quickly and before long the people of Salem believed that the girls were possessed by evil spirits or the devil himself. This theory has been thrown out by many who now realize how unrealistic this idea is. Many today practice and believe in witchcraft just as the people in Salem did in 1692. M

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