It all began in a little reserved colony of Salem Village, Massachusetts. Here, in 1692, mass hysteria about witches went on for little under a year. Salem Village was established by a group of families from an over crowded city five miles away. The colonists of Salem Village remained under control of nearby Salem Town until they began to appeal and were given independence in 1672. This legally gave the colonists the right to build their own meeting house as well as a church. By 1689 everything needed was built and a new minister was hired.

Salem Village developed your typical Puritan society. Each individual placed God above everything. They believed God was all-powerful and superior above all and human beings were considered harmful and helpless. They lived plain and simple lives. There was a long list of evils: no bright colors were allowed to make clothes, no dancing, no singing, no drunkenness, no lace, no murder, no kneeling and no reason was good enough to miss church. With these strict guidelines, Salem Village was a well-rounded community.

The hysteria began when Reverend Samuel Parris—the town’s new minister—moved to Salem in 16

- Governor Phipps put a stop to the madness

For the next three months it was trial, prison, hanging for any accused person. Sarah Wildes, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth Howe, Rebecca Nurse, and Sarah Good are hanged. The next to go include: George Burroughs, John Proctor, George Jacobs Sr., John Willard, and Martha Carrier. After these hangings a man name Giles Corey is pressed to death for refusing a plea. All he

Accusations were made here and there. The afflicted girls had overwhelming power in the now twisted society. Anyone could accuse anyone and some started using greed and vanity to get what they wanted. The next to be accused was Martha Corey. Ann Putnam Jr. accused Martha of witchcraft towards herself and other afflicted girls. During Corey’s trial one of the girls broke out into hysteria and Corey was put in jail. The next to go was an up-standing citizen, Rebecca Nurse. She was accused of witchcraft and placed on trial. The judges declared Nurse innocent, but the outburst from the crowd, after the verdict, changed the judge’s mind and she was also put in jail. At this same time the four-year-old daughter of Sarah Good, Dorcas Good, is accused,

Some topics in this essay:
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