Who is Abigail Williams from the Salem witch trials?

Answer 1

Abigail Williams was the young orphaned niece of Reverend Samuel Parris. Abigail, along with her cousin Betty (Rev. Parris' daughter), and a group of girlfriends accused townspeople of witchcraft in the spring/summer of 1692. Theories for why the girls made such accusations that resulted in the deaths of 19 people include: Abigail and Betty were suffering from rye poisoning (baked breads made from fungus infected grain) to teen-aged boredom. Conflicts between neighbors, Puritanical religious beliefs, poverty, unhealthy living conditions, fierce climate, remoteness of the village, spooky stories told by the slave Tituba, and restless young girls/teen agers all came together in a horrific mix of ingredients. The girls probably felt like celebrities because their popularity and attention paid to them increased with every false accusation they made. It's possible that Abigail and Betty had become ill from food poisoning, but the behavior of the other girls might only be explained as girls behaving very badly. The adults behaved much worse. The town leaders took advantage of the hysteria to rid themselves and the village of unwanted neighbors. It also provided them opportunities to acquire property belonging to the accused. The accused had to pay for their accomodations while in jail. The property/land would often be forfeited to...the town's leaders...the very people who ordered the arrests.