Final answer:
The Salem Witch Trials represented an episode of mass hysteria in 1692 Salem Village, where accusations of witchcraft led to over 100 citations and 19 executions. The trials were fueled by Puritan beliefs and suspicions against societal non-conformists. This historical event highlighted the dangers of extremism and fear within a community.
Step-by-step explanation:
Witchcraft in Salem became a historical landmark of mass hysteria and public frenzy. The incident started in the spring of 1692 in Salem Village, present-day Danvers, Massachusetts, where several girls claimed to be possessed after experimenting with the occult, guided by a West Indian servant named Tituba. This event unfolded within a society immersed in Puritan beliefs, where the devil's work was considered to be the root of all trouble and non-conformity was met with deep suspicion.
Upon accusations, Tituba was coerced into naming her associates, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne, both of whom represented societal non-conformists and thus ideal targets for the superstition-fuelled accusations. A special court ensued, and the testimonies of these girls, fraught with dramatic displays of affliction, led to a wider witch hunt. The mania escalated as more individuals were accused of engaging in witchcraft, leading to over 100 citations and 19 executions before the furor subsided in the summer of 1693.
The Salem Witch Trials were a tragic exemplification of extremism and societal fear, resulting in the wrongful persecution and execution of many, including the Congregational minister George Burroughs and the octogenarian farmer Giles Corey.