What were the Salem Witch Trials?

The Witch Trials were a string of trials and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Colonial America's most legendary cases of mass hysteria. It has been portrayed in rhetoric and popular literature as a vivid cautionary tale about the danger of isolation, religious extremism, false accusations, and lapses in due process.

Many historians regard the lasting effects of the Salem Witch trials to have an enormous impact on the way society views religion, and it's conflicting beliefs. Despite being known as the Salem Witch Trials, the preliminary hearings in 1692 were conducted in several towns. The towns included Salem Village, Salem Town, Ipswich, and Andover. The most infamous trials were conducted in Salem Town, by the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692.