Final answer:
The Salem Witch Trials in 1692 were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Salem Village, Massachusetts. Mass hysteria led to over a hundred accusations and the execution of a number of individuals, with the majority being women. Eventually, the convictions were overturned and reparations were made to the victims and their families.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem Village, now Danvers, Massachusetts, during 1692, amidst widespread fear and tension following the issuance of a new royal charter. Several young girls, including the daughter and niece of minister Samuel Parris, displayed bizarre fits and behaviors, which a minister suggested were not caused by a natural disease. Under pressure, they claimed they had engaged in the occult with Tituba, a servant in the Parris household. The Puritans, fearful of the devil's influence, readily believed in witchcraft and often blamed societal problems on the devil's work as suggested by prominent figures like Cotton Mather.
Mass hysteria resulted in over a hundred individuals being accused of witchcraft; most were women deemed more susceptible to the devil. Nineteen were hanged, and several others died in jail or were pressed to death. Notably, the executions in Salem involved hanging rather than the more gruesome burning method used in Europe. The fervor eventually subsided, and many involved admitted their mistakes. Two decades later, the convictions were annulled, and indemnity was granted to the victims and their families, suggesting a semblance of justice after such tragic events.