The Salem witchcraft trials took place in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. The news of witches began to spread in Salem when a group of young girls gathered together in the kitchen of the Reverend Samuel Parris with his Indian slave named Tituba to experiment with witchcraft. After these young girls began to portray unusual behavior the village doctor came to the scene and diagnosed the girls to be possessed by the devil. The news of the presence of witches spread throughout Salem like a craze and lead to a series of accusations and turmoil.
The Salem witchcraft trials were a collection of trials, hearings, accusations, imprisonments, and executions that sought to get rid of the influence of witchcraft from the Salem population. The vast majority of people who were accused of being witches were mostly women. These accusations had more to do with the social status of these women rather than to seek to understand them. The first hanging began with the death of Bridget Bishop in June and continued until September. The Salem witchcraft trials included an example of scapegoating because Puritans feared that the devil was continuously looking for ways to test their faith.