The Salem Witch Trials: How Fear Turned Neighbours into Enemies
The Salem Witch Trials remain one of history's most tragic examples of fear, suspicion and injustice. In the winter of 1692, a wave of fear swept through the small Puritan settlement of Salem Village in colonial Massachusetts. It began with two young girls who suddenly suffered terrifying fits. They screamed uncontrollably. Claimed to see invisible spirits. And accused members of their own community of practising witchcraft. Within months, panic spread across the colony. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty were found guilty. Nineteen innocent men and women were executed by hanging. One man was crushed to death beneath heavy stones after refusing to enter a plea. The Salem Witch Trials remain one of history's most infamous examples of mass hysteria, religious extremism, and injustice. But what really caused one of the darkest chapters in American history? A Strict Puritan Community In the late 17th century, Salem Village was a deeply religious settlement where daily life r...