It all started in the home of Samuel Parris, minsiter of Salem Village, in the winter of 1691. Samuel had a slave couple, Tituba and John Indian. Tituba usually took care of his nine year old daughter Betty, and her cousin, eleven year old Abigail Williams, who lived with them. 

    The winters were very boring back then, especially for the girls, who had to spend most of their time indoors cleaning and praying. Everyone in the Salem Village were Puritans, so they believed that hardwork would keep the Devil away. Tituba was less bleak with Abigail, Betty and other girls because Tituba could tell fortunes. Many people in the Village didn't like her because she was a fortune teller. 

     Mary Walcott, Elizabth Hubbar, Elizabeth Booth, Susannah Sheldon, Mercy Lewis, Marry Warren and Sarah Churchhill were regular visitors at the Parrises. Another regular vister was Ann Putnam, whose unstable mother would tell Ann about her disturbing dreams about her dead children. 

     Later in the winter, Betty became forgetful and cranky. Then one by one each girl did the same. No one could figure out what was wrong with them, there was no physical illness.  The girls became the center of attention in the village and no one could think of any explanation except that they were bewitched. 

     As Reverend Parris and the other important people in Salem Village became convinced that the young girls had been bewitched, a council was made to figure out what to do about it. The council decided to ask the girls who bewitched them. At first, the girls didn't believe that they were bewitched but it wasn't long till they did believe it.  People expected them to have fits and act bewitched and soon enough they couldn't control themselves. Hysteria is like that. It is believed that the girls were hysterical like many people who were "bewitched". When the council men started to suggest names to the girls.  

     It all started in the home of Samuel Parris, Minister of Salem Village, in the winter of 1691. Samuel had a slave couple, Tituba and John Indian. Tituba usually took care of his nine year old daughter Betty, and her cousin, eleven year old Abigail Williams, who lived with them.

     The winters were very boring back then, especially for the girls, who had to spend most of their time indoors cleaning and praying. Everyone in the Salem Village were Puritans, so they believed that hard-work would keep the Devil away. Tituba was less bleak with Abigail, Betty and other girls because she could tell fortunes. Many people in the Village didn't like her because she was a fortune teller. 

     Mary Walcott, Elizabth Hubbar, Elizabeth Booth, Susannah Sheldon, Mercy Lewis, Marry Warren and Sarah Churchhill were regular visitors at the Parrises. Another regular visiter was Ann Putnam, whose unstable mother would tell Ann about her disturbing dreams about her dead children. Later in the winter, Betty became forgetful and cranky.

     Then one by one each girl did the same. No one could figure out what was wrong with them, there was no physical illness.  The girls became the center of attention in the village and no one could think of any explanation except that they were bewitched. As soon as Reverend Parris and the other important people in Salem Village became convinced that the young girls had been bewitched.  

     A council was made to figure out what to do about it. The council decided to ask the girls who bewitched them. At first, the girls didn't believe that they were bewitched but it wasn't long till they did believe it.  People expected them to have fits and act bewitched and soon enough they couldn't control themselves. Hysteria is like that. It is believed that the girls were hysterical like many people who were "bewitched". 

     When the council men started to suggest names to the girls, it was then that they finally responded. They named three people as their bewitchers: Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osburne. The three were immediately arrested and put into jail. 

     In March 1692, the council began questioning them and seeing if they had enough evidence for a trial. They decided to use the "touch test" for evidence to see if they are a witch. The touch test is when a bewitched person would find relief from a fit as soon as he or she was able to touch the witch responsible for the bewitching.

     Also a "Spectral evidence" was then that they finally responded. They named three people as their bewitchers; Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osburne. The three were immediately arrested and put into jail. In March 1692, the council began questioning them and seeing if they had enough evidence for a trial. They decided to use the "touch test" for evidence to see if they are a witch.  Also a "Spectral evidence"  would also be acceptable.  That meant the bewitched person could say, they had been hurt by an accused witch's shape, instead of the witch in person.  People say the Devil could disguise himself by using someone's shape and they also believes he couldn't take the shape of someone who wasn't a witch.  

     The first one to be examined was Sarah Good.  Sarah Good was pregnant at the time and it made everything difficult but Sarah was a tough woman.  In court, she said, 'I scorn it' to each charge and denied that she bewitched the girls.  No one believed her because every time she looked at the girls in court, they screamed as if they were in unbearable pain.  The girls were not the only people to testify against Sarah Good and it was decided there was enough evidence against her for a trial.  Sarah was sent back to jail awaiting her trial.  While in jail. she gave birth to her baby, whom died.  In June is when she finally had her trial.  

     When she was in court, one of the girls stood up and held a piece of a broken knife and said 'Goody Good attacked me with this!'.  As she did this, a man jumped to his feet and he swore it was from his broken knife, it had broken off in front of the girl.  No one believed him.  Sarah was sentenced to death.  While they took her to her gallows, she said she was innocent but a man shouted, 'you are a liar'.  Sarah said, 'I am no more a witch than you are a wizard', just before she died.  

     Soon after Sarah Osbourne was quickly sentenced to death.  While waiting in jail, she died only 2 months before her hanging sentence.  

     Tituba was brought in for questioning and the girls acted more wild but Tituba did confess of bewitching the girls.  Later on, Tituba said Mr. Parr's beat her up until she would confess.   No one came to her defence but she claimed that a tall man told her to do such things.  A few days later, she got sentenced and then disappeared.  

     After many more hangings and deaths, the Village of Salem finally came to the realization they were wrong.  They had a mourning day for all the deaths.  The Minister said things about 'innocent blood being spilled'.  Other people expressed their sorrows.  One of the last ones' was Ann Putnam, now a woman of 26, stood solemnly.  As the Minister spoke the words she had written, 'It was a great delusion of Satan, I desire to lie in the dust and be humbled for it....I desire to lie in the dust and earnestly beg forgiveness..'