Two young girls started the whole thing through their strange behaviors: the daughter, Betty, and the niece, Abigail Williams, of the Salem Village minister, Reverend Samuel Parris.
In saying "thought of", you suggest that the Salem trials are a work of fiction. They are in no way thought up.
Tituba.
The Salem witch trials is not a movie you idiot. They were a series of witchcraft trials that were caused by a witch hysteria in Essex County, Massachusetts, centering in Salem. Bridget Bishop owned an inn and was accused during the hysteria. She was the first to be tried and the first to be executed.
the Salem witch trials
Bridget Bishop
Samuel Paris worked as a minister in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials. His daughter and niece were both amongst the girls who were accused of being witches.
Although there where many witch trials troughout history, perhaps the most famous one took place in Salem, Massachusets. EDIT: Other witch trials took place in Connecticutt, England, Scotland, Germany and France.
Rebbecca Nurse was first to say that she was not a witch, but that "the devil was using their shape"
Tituba, Sarah Goode and Sarah Osbourne.
The witch panic that lead to the Trials began in January-Febuary, 1692. The Trials themselves first convened in June, 1692.
The trials officially began on June second, 1692. The affliction that lead to the trials began the previous winter.
The Salem witch trials happened during the year 1692, the first to be executed was Bridget Bishop. In total 19 people were killed after being found guilty of witch craft, this is not counting the many people that they suspected died in jail.
There were several unnotable ministers in the early part of the Salem Village Church. The most famous, and first ordained, minister of the church was Samuel Parris. He is often associated with the Salem Witch Trials.