In the minds of many people Salem is the synonym of witches. This is due to the Salem witchcraft hysteria that gripped the area. It lasted less than a year, yet 150 people were thrown into jail and 20 people were executed. It all began with Reverand Samuel Parris's daughter, Betty and niece Abigail. The two young girls would meet secretly with Reverand Carib Indain slave, Tituba. She told the girls stories and told their fortunes. Soon many other girls joined in. In early January, Betty began making noises and crawling around on the floor. Abigail soon had fits also, becoming ever more violent. It wasn't long before other girls in town had mass fits of hysteria. The local doctor then pronounced the girls to be under the influences of witchcraft. The reverand pressured the girls to tell who the witches were. They named Sarah Good, Sarah Osborn, and Tituba. In lore, it is said that when the devil wanted a person to do his bidding he would have them sign a book and they would be allowed to stay in their bodies, but their spectres could roam freely. When the three women were brought before the court, the girls began having fits, saying the spetres of the women were hurting them. Tituba confessed to being a witch and confessed nine more people were witches. (It was later said that Tituba was beaten into confessing). Many other people were accused, including Rebecca Nurse. If anyone spoke out against the girls was quickly accused, including John Procter. Ninteen people were hanged and an 80 year old man was crushed under large stones. All of the accusations were based on spectral evidence, until the governor declared "spectral evidence was invalid. The hangings finally stopped, but the bitterness lived on. Finally, in 1706, one of the girls, Ann Putnam, stood up in church and begged for forgiveness for accusing innocent people. It is said that for the most part, the girls were suffering from stress in their lives. Most of them were poor, so their families could not offer a big dowery and would be spinsters, so they took their bitternes out on innocent people. Whatever the reason was, the small group of Salem girls made history in the small town of Salem that lives forever.
