# data[].attributes.headline
Background information on the Salem Witch Trials

# data[].attributes.subject
Background information on the Salem Witch Trials

# data[].attributes.body
The Salem Witch Trials was a very dark time when many people were accused of being witches. The accused were hung and killed because the accusers thought they were witches. Many people were involved in the Salem Witch Trials. Most people accused were women 40-60, and married. Most Accusers were single women. This happened in Salem Massachusetts between February 1692 - May 1693.

# data[].attributes.body
I couldn't find exactly who drew this but it took me directly to History.Com and it says it was Getty Images. This photo shows a "witch" looking up at a glowing light and everyone around her is scared because she is a "witch". One person even fainted.

# data[].attributes.body
Creator: Interim Archives. This shows someone was being accused of being a witch and she was hung. All while most of the town was just carrying on with their everyday lives.

# data[].attributes.body
I couldn't find exactly who drew this picture. This shows a girl is about to get hung because she is accused of being a witch. There are a group of men about to hang her.

# data[].attributes.body
"Then she turned her eyes up, and the eyes of the afflicted were turned up". This quote is from document F. This quote means she looked up at the sky, and then soon later died and her eyes "rolled to the back of her head".

# data[].attributes.headline
Why the Salem Witch Trials Happened: Cause #1

# data[].attributes.subject
Why the Salem Witch Trials Happened: Cause #1

# data[].attributes.body
The Salem Witch Trails happened because they thought this was the best way to murder people they want dead. In Document J, it shows that the western part of Salem was poorer and lost it's influence while the eastern side was richer. This could have shown us that the western side of Salem could have been jealous because they were poorer and wanted to get revenge on the eastern side of Salem.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why the Salem Witch Trials Happened: Cause #2

# data[].attributes.subject
Why the Salem Witch Trials Happened: Cause #2

# data[].attributes.body
The Salem witch Trials happened because they thought this was a good way to kill people. In document F, Bridget Bishop is accused of being a witch for "bewitching her first husband to death". This shows that because she killed her husband, they are trying to get revenge on her by accusing her of being a witch, then killing her.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why the Salem Witch Trials Happened: Cause #3

# data[].attributes.subject
Why the Salem Witch Trials Happened: Cause #3

# data[].attributes.body
In document H, we start talking about hysteria. Hysteria was believed to be a symptom of being a witch. Although, this does not make sense to me. I believe hysteria is a real illness, but the evidence seems off. First, this illness affects mostly if not only girls,  yet as we know,  women ages 40-60  were most commonly accused of being a witch. The Salem witch Trials happened because if they wanted to get rid of some women, Hysteria could have been a diversion that could have helped the western side of Salem get revenge on the women they wanted dead.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why the Salem Witch Trials Happened :Cause #4

# data[].attributes.subject
Why the Salem Witch Trials Happened :Cause #4

# data[].attributes.body
In Document E, it describes the average people being accused. The average people being accused were women the age of 40-60 who are married. Also hysteria and ergot infected mostly WOMEN. The symptoms of hysteria and ergot were the same as being a witch. This could have explained why mostly women were dying in the Salem Witch Trials.

# data[].attributes.body
I think Document G wasn't very helpful. It only talked about how kids were acting because they liked the attention and that they were later killed. It didn't help me figure out why all these people were being accused. Someone could argue that this would help because it gives evidence of people faking being witches and that is why people died. Although not only is there just not a lot of evidence for that, I personally just don't believe that 19 people would fake being witches.

# data[].attributes.body
In conclusion, I believe that the Salem Witch Trials happened because people wanted others dead and this was a good way to do it. First off, the richer side of Salem had more people accused, Bridget Bishop "bewitched her husband to death", Hysteria accused mostly women which does not make sense to me, and mostly women were accused of being witches. This proves that this theory can be correct because the people being accused were very specific kinds of people from very specific areas.