Theories
Though the accusations of witchcraft themselves weren’t out of the ordinary in colonial New England, those made in Salem in 1692 stood out, likely contributing to the panic that spread throughout the community.
Witchcraft accusations normally happened sporadically and rarely mass accusations with large numbers of people accusing and being accused with men as the accusers.
Though there are many theories why it happened, there’s no consensus as to why girls were the main accusers in Salem. That being said, there are factors that may have contributed to the Salem witch trials.
The belief in the existence of the Devil: the Puritans thought the devil embodied the Native Americans because they were not Christian and believed they were to fight them.
The Glorious Revolution of 1689-1690
War with France
War with American Indians in New England: settlers were encroaching on land that had been in the hands of Native Americans for thousands of years, and Native peoples were fighting back.
Decades of Ongoing Violence Had Taken a Toll: When the Salem witch trials began in 1692, King Philip’s War, also known as Metacom’s Rebellion, was still fresh in the minds of the colonial settlers. The Native Americans’ last-ditch attempt to stop English colonization of their land officially concluded in 1676, but the violent conflict and bloodshed had never ended on the northern border of the Massachusetts colony.
Leaders were receptive to the accusations of witchcraft: leaders were on board with implementing draconian laws and policies in part because of the precariousness of the Massachusetts colonial settlement at that time.
High-ranking Puritans were concerned about their church’s dwindling numbers: the Puritans had become less dominant politically, religiously [and] culturally
Political Uncertainty: In 1684, King Charles II of England revoked the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s charter. Seven years later, the new ruling monarchs, King William III and Queen Mary II, issued a new charter establishing the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and, at the urging of influential Puritan clergyman Increase Mather, appointed William Phips Governor of the colony. By the time Mather and Phips returned to Massachusetts with the new charter in May 1692, Salem’s jails were already filled with people accused of practicing witchcraft.
Relying heavily on spectral evidence: It was widely considered unacceptable in legal practice at the time, however, they allowed testimony from witnesses claiming that the accused person appeared to them and caused them harm in a vision or dream.
Theories why the girls made the accuations:
Ergotism: A condition caused by eating bread made from rye that was infected with a hallucinogenic fungus. Symptoms included convulsions, delusions, and hallucinations.
Encephalitis lethargica: A rare brain inflammation caused by birds and insects that caused behavioral changes, tremors, and abnormal eye movements.
Mass hysteria: The hysteria may have been caused by children's fantasies, tension between neighbors, or political uncertainty.
Sexist beliefs: Women were seen as inherently deviant and were easy targets for suspicion.
Spectral evidence: The court relied too heavily on testimony from witnesses who claimed that the accused person appeared to them in a dream or vision.
Tituba's presence: The presence of Tituba, a Caribbean native slave, in the household of the first three girls to exhibit "bewitched" behaviors led to mass hysteria.
God's punishment: The Puritans believed that witchcraft was God's punishment for sin.
