The Salem Panic Shows How Easily a Society Can Unravel

Girls and young women primarily drove Salem’s witch hunt. Betty Parris was nine while Abigail Williams was about 11 when their fits started the whole affair. In a strict Puritan society where children were meant to be seen and not heard, these girls suddenly were the center of attention. They held incredible power. Their screams, convulsions, and accusations were taken as gospel by the most powerful men in the colony. A society that put its complete faith in the visions of a few traumatized or manipulative children let them decide the fate of dozens of adults.