The Salem Witch Trials The witch trials of the late 1600s were full of controversy and uncertainty. The Puritan town of Salem was the site of most of these trials and became the center of much attention in 1692. More than a hundred innocent people were found guilty of practicing witchcraft during these times, and our American government forced more than a dozen people to pay with their lives. The main reasons why the witch trials occurred were conflicts over politics, religion, family, economics, and citizens' fears. Before the town of Salem became so famous for its trials, its Puritan residents moved from their English homes to escape religious religion. persecution. There were two groups of people that made up the town: people who wanted to leave the town of Salem and people who didn't. Most families who wanted to stay lived closer to the city, while families who wanted to leave lived further away. The families and individuals who wished to leave were typically farmers and lived about eight miles from the town of Salem. One of the largest farming families was the Putnams. The Putnams were held in high regard in the village, because they owned most of the farmland. Because they wanted to separate from the city, they decided to establish their own church in 1689. Rev. Parris was the preacher of the church and his salary was paid by local taxes. He had a nine-year-old daughter named Betty and a twelve-year-old granddaughter named Abigail Williams. Since they lived so far from Salem Town, there wasn't much to do for recreational purposes. Abigail, Betty, and two other friends decided to form a circle in which they would entertain each other with stories. The Rev. Parris' slave, Tituba, sometimes participated in... middle of paper... crushing rocks. Even though the trials were over, there were still many people who could not pay for their release because they did not have enough money. The law stated that prisoners had to pay for room and board before they could be released. Even those who managed to get out of prison lost all their lands to the government. Our American government made terrible mistakes in 1690. All of the events that occurred in Salem are examples of how our legal system reacted based on fear and panic rather than based on hard evidence. As fear increased, innocent individuals were persecuted, abused, and ultimately killed because they stood up for what they believed in and refused to go against God and “lie.” The Salem witch trials should remind us that fear can ultimately influence the concept and function of justice in the world..