The Salem Witch Trials

In January 1692, two young girls in the household of Salem's minister, Samuel Parris, began to experience mysterious fits, which the pastor and other adults in the community soon ascribed to diabolical witchcraft. Pressured to name their tormenters, the girls accused three local women of bewitching them. So began what was to escalate into the largest and deadliest witch hunt in American history. By the time the Salem witchcraft crisis finally ended in 1693, more than 150 people, including a four-year-old child, had been thrown into prison on suspicion of witchcraft; 19 convicted witches had been hanged; and one man had been crushed to death for refusing to enter a plea. More than three centuries later, the deadly Salem persecutions serve as a stark reminder of the perils of virulent intolerance and fear-driven trials. The Salem Witch Trials presents a complete narrative of this time in American history, providing readers with information about the major participants and this event's effect on the nation's history.