The Witch Trials of 1692 :: American America History

The Witch Trials of 1692During the winter of 1692, in the sm wholly village of Salem, Massachusetts, something terrible happened. Salem Massachusetts became the center of a horrible tragedy, which changed the life of galore(postnominal) people. It was a time of fear, because of bad crops, Indian raids, and diseases. The people of Salem Village had to blame something, or someone. The people of Salem Village accused people, and called them witches. They were accused of all those terrible things and more. Salem Village was a small, farming community with a population of 550. It was smaller than Salem Town, and about eight miles away. Salem Town was a large port, and was a prosperous fishing community The two towns had the same minister, and used the same church as the people in Salem Village. At that time there was two groups in the village. Those who wanted to be separate from Salem Town, and those who did not. Samuel Parris was the minister of the group that did want to be separate. He helped divide the groups rase more by his sermons. He called the group that did not want to separate, evil and bad, and the group that did, good and righteous.The Reverend Parris and his wife had two children living with them. They were Betty, their daughter, and Abigail, their niece. Abigail and Betty were the reason that the trials started. earlier becoming a minister, Samuel Parris had failed at being a merchant. All he had to show for all the long hard years of being a merchant, were the family slaves, Tituba, and her husband, derriere Indian. Abigail and Betty Parris were having their fortunes told by Tituba, behind their parents backs. Betty started having fits, possibly because she could not bear to keep secrets from her parents. Abigail also started having fits, and instead of getting into trouble, they became popular and respected. Soon, other girls joined in. Most of the impaired girls lived in the houses of the Parriss and the Putnams, which were the Reverends fami ly and friends. During the fits, the girls screamed, rolled their eyes back into their heads, shook, and twisted their bodies into impossible positions, and accused people of biting and pinching them. They accused people that were against Samuel Parris, or had an argument with the Parriss, or the families of the other afflicted girls. By the end, they had accused most of the people that were in conflict with the new church, or their families.