What were the Causes of the Salem Witch Trials?

There are several accounts of catastrophes throughout the history of the earth that have left people frantic and resorting to believing in the unexplainable: the supernatural. Speculation of supernatural occurrences is nothing new. At the end of the 5th century, also the start of the Middle Ages (Dark Ages), the Roman Empire fell. Amid all the distress, people began to forget about scholars and scientific information. They started believing that supernatural happenings (such as witchery) were explanations for the disasters they were experiencing. Another case of citizens thinking supernatural forces were upon them is the Black Death. During the outbreak of the deadly plague in Europe, doctors (known as healers) could not explain how or why the plague occurred; so again, people thought there were supernatural forces upon them, along with circulating conspiracies and earthquakes. These two examples prove that stressful and dark times can lead to hysteria, just as what happened during the Salem witch trials. The belief in supernatural causations is also dependent on the state of society. The Salem village, where the witch trials started, was small and contained about five hundred people. Martyn Shuttleworth, a historian of science, wrote the article “Psychology in the Middle Ages”. A section of this article states, “Science and philosophy usually prosper in wealthier societies because an affluent society can afford to let philosophers, scholars, and poets enrich culture. Conversely, a poorer society is concerned with more pragmatic things, and the tribulations of the Early Middle Ages acted as a breeding ground for superstition rather than science.” With the lack of knowledge or scientific influence, witchery causing the girls’ behavior seemed to be the majority reasoning for the little village of Salem.

        In 1692, when the trials started, there was an obvious lack of scientific development, which could be another reason people thought the affected girls’ symptoms were caused by witchery. When Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Willians, who were cousins, experienced “violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming”, as History.com states in their “Salem Witch Trials” article, they were taken straight to a doctor. Since the doctor they went to hadn’t seen anything like the conditions these two girls were experiencing, he claimed that the girls were bewitched. Along with the screaming and convulsions, other symptoms included skin sensations (like pinching and biting feelings), delirium, and incomprehensible speech. In a study done by Linnda Caporael, the same symptoms that all the girls experienced were similar to the effects of a hallucinogen known as LSD. LSD is derived from ergot, which affects rye and other similar grains. The infection of the specific grain, rye as an example, start with a fungus (Claviceps Purpurea) infection, That fungus then starts to take over the plant and turns the grains of the plant into sclerotia, which is a purplish-black color. Because of the color of sclerotia, it can easily be mistaken for discolored rye. When that rye becomes infected, two specific ergot alkaloids develop: lysergic acid and ergotamine. Eating ergot-contaminated food can cause all of the symptoms the “bewitched” girls were experiencing. Another example of research that modern-day science has proved the bewitchment diagnosis wrong is the fact that ergot will thrive in warm, damp, and rainy conditions, particularly during the spring and summer. Ergot most likely developed in a harvest of rye and was made into a type of bread or cereal that the girls consumed during the wintertime. Research has also shown that the summer of 1692 was dry. This could be the cause of bewitchment cases disappearing and caused most people to settle the matter.

        The Salem witch trials were a devastating and unethical event that causes most of us in the present-day to feel ashamed and disheartened. This wild affair is proof that fear can lead to no good and can drive people mad, which has broadened my understanding as to why the village resorted to suspecting witchery. Ultimately, believing in the supernatural, previous fear-inducing events, and a lack of medical knowledge lead to the Salem witch trials.