How did the Salem witch trials start?

Answer 1

The Salem Witch trials began in February. This is important to note because it is thought that the original accusers were victims of ergot poisoning. This is a fungal infection from grain and was/is very common among those that eat improperly stored grain.

One of the symptoms of ergot poisoning is the problem of hallucinations. From the transcripts of the trials, four young girls developed hallucinations and accused their neighbors of being witches. Since the community was very religious and a particular verse in The Bible says that you shall not let a witch live, the trials were of particular religious importance.

The hysteria spread from their original accusations to include so many people that the judges became suspicious. In their later investigations, which stopped the trials, it became clear that the girls were enjoying their status as witch identifiers and that they accused for political and personal reasons. The court room antics of the girls are such that it seems obvious that they had become celebrities in their community and were targeting anyone that they didn't like, including a five year old girl.

Judge Cotton Mather later wrote a paper on the trials in which he denounced his part in the trials and concluded that hysteria was a prime cause for the damage that was done.