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The Salem Massachusetts witchcraft trials of the late 1700’s have been the subject of debate for centuries. There are many theories as to why this hysteria took over the Puritan community during this time. One theory is that it was just a produ ....

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... the Rev. Samuel Parris's 9-year-old daughter Elizabeth and his 12-year-old niece Abigail Williams, “began to fall into horrid fits” (“Witch”). The village doctor William Griggs gave his opinion that the girls were the “victims of witchcraft” (“Witch”). There has been discussion as to whether these fits were true in nature, or if the girls were acting. There has also been some discussion as to the possibility that the girls were caught in behavior that they knew they would be punished for, and they chose to make up their ‘illness’ so as not to be punished. When the girls were pressed as to an explanation for their actions, “they identifie ...