Final answer:
The Salem Village prior to the Salem Witch Trials was marked by Puritanical beliefs attributing societal issues to devil's work, leading to mass hysteria. Nonconformists, especially women, were targeted, culminating in the execution of nineteen people amid widespread paranoia and political and cultural instability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sociological climate in Salem Village prior to the Salem Witch Trials was fraught with tension and paranoia, heightened by the Puritanical belief system that saw the devil at work in society's misdoings. Tituba, a West Indian servant, was accused of instructing girls in the occult, leading to mass hysteria and accusations of witchcraft. The strict Puritan society, effects of Native wars, political instability, and unconventional behavior led to widespread suspicions and accusations. Misfortunes such as illness, death of children, and loss of cattle were often attributed to the work of the devil and witches, targeting those who did not conform to societal norms. The Salem Witch Trials, less harsh than European witch hunts, concluded with the hanging of nineteen people and the death of several others due to the hysteria and subsequent legal actions.