What caused the hysteria that lead to the Salem Witch Trails?

Answer 1

There are many theories. but none have been proven. Some are:

1. Girls met in the reverand's house to hear their fortunes and other little acts of magic that we'd think of as harmless today. However, it was shunned and practically illegal in 1690s Salem. The girls were wracked with guilt and lied to cover up their actions.

2. Girls, who had no influence in anything in 1690s Salem wanted some attention, so they began to act out. When they got attention and the power over life and death in some cases, it went to their heads and continued to name more and more people.

3. There was a fungus, called Ergot, in the wheat that was being eaten in Salem that winter. Ergot causes LSD-like hallucinations, which would account for the girls thinking they were being tormented and seeing spectors of people.

4. In 1692, the were two Salems. Salem Town, which is Salem today, was a rich port with more and more people who came for money and not religion. Salem Village or Salem Farms, now known as Danvers, was a farming community that still held the Puritan beliefs and no one just wanted money. The separation came from the fact that the Town let the Village have its own church. The differences in opinion and tensions between the two Salems, including the feud between the Village Putnams and the Town Porters, allowed people from the Village, where most accusers came from, to accuse people from the Town, whene most accused came from or went to church, with little regret. The hysteria resulting from the accusations allowed the spread to other towns.

5. Encephalitis is another possible ailment-based theory. Encephalitis is an illness which mainly affects the brain and nervous system. It can cause hallucinations and pinched nerves that can feel like someone is pinching you. Since the disease is spread by mosquitoes and Salem Village is near a swamp, it seems likely. And Encephalitis can remain dormant so the time of year is not a hindrance to belief.

There are more. Personally, I think that SOME of the accusers had Encephalitis because it accounts for all their real symptoms. However, the chances of seeing the person being tried hurting you right when they're being tried are so slim, I believe that some accusers just wanted the attention and power and pretended to be afflicted like the others.