You are a witch! No, you are a witch! In Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, the accusations began. Neighbor has turned on neighbor, friends have turned on friends, and even husbands and wives have turned on each other. However, all these people were innocent. They were all accused of being witches. More than 200 people were accused of being witches and 20 were killed because of these accusations (In Search of History). In Salem, Massachusetts, many people were falsely accused and some died because they were accused of being witches, even though witches do not exist. In Salem, Massachusetts, there was mass hysteria caused by a few girls. It all began in the home of Reverend Parris, in 1692. During a long, cold winter, one day Reverend Parris' daughter, Elizabeth, 9, and niece Abigail, 11, began to shiver and to have seizures. They screamed and contorted their bodies into supernatural shapes. Ann Putnam Jr., 11, also experienced similar seizures. According to the town doctor, there was only one explanation, witches (a brief history)! It's unclear what caused the three girls to have convulsions and contort themselves into strange shapes. There are many theories about the causes of these seizures. However, no one knows what really happened. The girls could have suffered from an illness that was not yet known to exist. All we know is that something caused them to behave strangely. It was from that moment that the accusations began. At first, the girls blamed some of the lower-income residents of society. The girls first accused Tituba, the slave of Reverend Parris, Sara Good, the town beggar, and Sarah Osborn, a bedridden old lady (Schanzer 28). The townspeople paid no attention and did not care that these people were put in prison. The girls kept blaming more and more... middle of paper ... each time, they never did. In the end, 20 people died and scores more were imprisoned. Everyone in Salem was devastated. Many people have noticed that they are wrong all the time. Most of those involved in the trials apologized and were forgiven for their actions. In Salem, Massachusetts, many people were falsely accused and some died because they were accused of being witches, even though witches do not exist. Works Cited Blumberg, Jess. “A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials.” Smithsonian. Np, October 24, 2007. Web. March 17, 2014. .In Search of History: The Salem Witch Trials. Real. Rob Blumenstein. History Channel, 1998. Movie. Schanzer, Rosalyn. Witches! : The absolutely true story of the disaster in Salem. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 2011. Print.