THE BEGINNING The Salem witch hysteria of 1692 was one of the most tragic events in American history. To study this event, we must consider the social, religious and political influences of that time. The Puritans from England settled in Massachusetts to escape religious persecution in their home land. The Puritans had a strict moral code and their way of living was fashioned around their religious beliefs. There was a political division between the first Minister …showed first 75 words of 305 total…

…showed last 75 words of 305 total…became fascinated by Tituba's stories of natural magic and island culture. Two of the girls were related to Samuel Parris while others were children of his supporters. When the girls became "afflicted" and subsequently named the "witches", the supporters of James Bayley took the outrageous accusations of the hysterical girls as confirmation of what they already suspected, that their opponents were in league with Satan. This is the beginning of the Salem witch hysteria of 1692.