One reason that caused so much hysteria was that certain people, ages, genders, and marital statuses were targeted. Most of the accused were married women, in between 41-60 years of age (Document B). Not as many men were accused as women, but the ones who had been accused were mostly married and 41-60 years old. Many of the accusers were women, typically single and 16-20 years old. Women were more likely to be …show more content…
Between 1661 and 1681, the people in the western half farmed poorer land and held less political power, while people in the eastern half gained wealth and political influence. Most of the accusers were from the western half of Salem village, while most of the defenders were from the east (Document E). This could have made the west accuse the east out of jealousy or dislike.
The three reasons that caused mass hysteria during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were that certain people, genders, ages, and marital statuses were accused, the fact that the girls wanted attention and were good actresses, and that neighbor conflicts that were caused by tension and jealousy. In 1692, 20 people were hanged for accusations of them being a witch. There were 13 women and 7 men. All killed because of human