The Salem Witch TrialsThe witch trials of the late 1600s were full of controversy and uncertainty. The Puritan town of Salem hosted most of these trials and became the center of much attention by 1692. More than a hundred innocent people were convicted of practicing witchcraft at that time, and our U.S. government forced more than a dozen to pay with their lives. The main reasons why witch trials took place were conflicts related to politics, religion, family, economics, and citizen fears. Before the town of Salem became so famous for its trials, its Puritan residents left their English homes to escape religions. persecution. There were two groups of people that made up the town: people who wanted to leave the town of Salem and those who did not. Most families who wanted to stay lived closest to town, while those who wanted to leave lived further away. The families and individuals who wanted to leave were usually farmers and lived about eight miles from the town of Salem. One of the largest farming families was the Putnams. The Putnams were very popular in the village, as they owned most of the farmland. Wanting to separate from the town, they decided to start their own church in 1689. Reverend Parris was the church's preacher and his salary was paid by local taxes. He had a nine-year-old daughter named Betty and a twelve-year-old niece named Abigail Williams. Since they lived so far from Salem Town, they didn't have much to do recreationally. Abigail, Betty and two other friends decided to form a circle where they would entertain themselves with stories. Parris's slave, Tituba, sometimes participated...... middle of paper ... crushing stones. Even though the trials were over, many people still could not pay for their release because they did not have enough money. The law stipulated that prisoners had to pay for their food and board before they could be released. Even those who came out of prison lost all their land to the government. Our American government made terrible mistakes in the 1690s. All of the events that took place in Salem are examples of how our justice system responded out of fear and panic rather than solid evidence. As fear intensified, innocent individuals were persecuted, abused, and ultimately killed because they stood up for what they believed in and refused to go against God and “lie.” The Salem Witch Trials should remind us how fear can ultimately affect the concept and operation of justice in the world..