The_Witches_Children

The Witches Children In the summer of 1692, nineteen men and women were hanged after having been convicted of witchcraft. The hysteria began the previous winter and was over by early autumn of 1692. To pass the cold winter days of 1692, several girls began meeting at Rev. Parris’ home. Tituba, the Parris’ slave from Barbados, entertained the girls with her stories of witchcraft and demons. Tituba also told the girls’ fortunes. Soon, Rev. Parris’ daughter, Betty, and her cousin, Abigail Williams, became frightened by the stories and fortunes, and they began to act strangely. They had terrible fits, darting around the house, screaming and crying and writhing as if they were in pain. Rev. Parris called Salem Village’s doctor, Willam Griggs because he thought the girls’ behavior might be an illness. The doctor failed to find any medical cause for their fits, so he concluded that the girls must be bewitched. During that time period, most people believed one could make an agreement with the devil in exchange for evil powers. This was considered a great sin, and the girls didn’t speak out immediately. At the end of February, they began to accuse Tituba and other women in Salem Village of conspiring with girls, witchcraft, began, one, accused, salem, village, people, fits, warren, trials, tituba, rev, parris’, mary, women, witches, winter, two, told, testimony, stories, soon, similar, out, others, must, jailed, immediately, hanged, great, girls’, fortunes, doctor, devil