nce, as well as their sorrow and guilt for their decisions (98). The Salem witch trials have fascinated and perplexed Americans for countless generations. Because no one knows for sure what really caused the trials of 1692, numerous hypotheses formulated attempt to explain the occurrence, yet a sense of doubt and bewilderment pervades most historians' perspectives on the subject. Although no single explanation can ever account for the delusion; from specific evidence it is logical to conclude that the Salem witch trials were the causes of spectacular, but fraudulent claims, public and mass hysteria, and ergot poisoning.
             In order to fully comprehend the validity of the possible causes of the Salem witch trials, it is necessary to have a brief history and understanding of the time period prior to and during the events. Jeremy Kingston states that prior to 1962, plagues of locusts, and successions of droughts, which caused destruction of crops, were tragedies the people of Massachusetts faced. They also endured a fire in Boston in 1691, which destroyed a lot of their town. The same year, the people of Massachusetts felt the aftermath of an earthquake in Port Royal, Jamaica, which killed about 2,000 people, most of which were relatives and friends (82). Earl Rice Jr. comments as well, saying that the Puritans faced small pox, Indian raids, and loss of self-government (14). Incognizant, were the people of Salem Village to know what tragic events lie ahead for them. It all started with the long winter of New England. Like any other adolescents, boredom can be a problem during the winter months. The cold weather and snow causes concern for illness and mischief, and that is exactly what happened to a group of adolescent girls in Salem Village. Because the Elderly women were used to doing in-house tasks, the cold weather did not effect their daily lives as much as the young girls, Rice Jr. explains. "To the teenage and...