In 1962 everything went wrong when two girls became seriously ill. The Puritans were becoming very concerned about having a very strong faith in God and fearing the devil. A couple of weeks later the girls went to see a doctor to see if they could figure out why they were so sick. The doctor said they must be under the hand of evil. So the Puritans believed that all witches could use the power of the devil to harm other people. Because they thought that all witches had the power to harm other people, they went around and found people who thought or practiced witchcraft. They would blame other people for practicing witchcraft and they wouldn't even do it. They had said that if you write in the devil's book you have power. Many people asked these girls if they had come into contact with the devil. If you were accused of witchcraft you had to go to court. If you do not confess to having done or do witchcraft you will be hanged. By the end of May, more than 60 people had been accused of witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials were America's largest witch hunt ever. There were 19 people who were killed and hanged as witches. The witch hunt began in a small farming community in Salem. At one point there were 150 people in prison facing charges. There was a man who was crushed to death with stones because he didn't confess. In New England there were 16 people hanged before 1962. As late as 1963, a year later, there were still many people in prison awaiting trial. They believe witchcraft came from New England. The Salem Witch Trials are a series of hearings and court proceedings against people accused of witchcraft. Many of the people accused of witchcraft were in colonial Massachuse... middle of paper... under heavy stones because they refused to stand trial on witchcraft charges. Hysteria had affected many people. 19 had died from Gallows Hill in Salem, but others had died in prison. The hysteria began after a group of girls were possessed by the devil. In Salem, Massachusetts, most of the people were accused of witchcraft. There were 19 men and women who were hanged and one man was crushed to death with large stones. There were many people who had never practiced witchcraft and were accused of it and put in prison. After being put in prison they had to wait many years for their trial. Some people stayed in prison so long that they died. The Puritans were really afraid that they wouldn't have control of what was happening and they would go on the attack and the colony would make a mess. The Salem Witch Trials were a really bad time in American history.