Causes Of The Salem Witch Hysteria Of 1692

The Salem Witch Hysteria of 1692, in Massachusetts, was a period of time in which many men and women were executed under the suspicion of being witches. However, the true reason behind the killings is still unclear. As evidence shows, it is highly probable that the witch trials were, at the most basic level, caused by social class differences, religious beliefs, and the fact that the supposed “afflicted” were lying. It is most likely that social class differences led to the Salem Witch Trials. As research shows, the majority of the accused and accusers were on different sides of the town, showing a rift between social classes. To support this, on the map entitled Map of Salem Village 1692, the creators of the map, Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum,