How It All Began
By Francesca, Abby and Tony

Many people believe that the Salem Witch Trials all began because of Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams.  How did the Salem Witch Trials begin?  Let’s find out!
It all started in Reverend Samuel Parris’ kitchen. Tituba, Reverend Parris’ domestic slave, began telling Reverend Parris’ daughter Elizabeth (Betty) Parris, and Abigail Williams, Rev. Parris’ niece strange stories of the devil and witches. At the time, Betty was nine years old and Abigail was eleven.
Tituba was born in Barbados and was raised in a culture of black magic. She would tell them stories about witches and the devil. 
The girls were excited, because they knew that what Tituba was telling them was forbidden in their religion.  Soon, more and more girls came to listen to Tituba’s stories.
Then, the girls began acting in strange manners. They would fall into “trances” and have unearthly fits during church. They would cry out in response to something that the minister would say and sometimes even have to cover their ears as he was preaching.
Reverend Parris became very concerned and called a doctor to diagnose what was wrong with them. The doctor told him that the girls were perfectly healthy… but said that they were bewitched! Reverend Parris asked the girls to tell him who had bewitched them.

When questioned, the girls accused Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osburne of bewitching them and making them behave strangely. To the villagers this made sense. Tituba was a slave, Sarah Good was a beggar, and Sarah Osburne was scorned by the community for marrying her indentured servant. Both Sarah Good and Sarah Osburne had not attended church in over a year.  It only made sense that these women were witches. 
Anne Putnam Jr. accused Sarah Good of trying to get her to sign her name in the devil’s book in blood. When Sarah Good, and Sarah Osburne were called to trial, the girls responded to their denials of being a witch by screaming and having tantrums. 
However, when Tituba was called to trial, she immediately confessed to being a witch.  This was probably because Reverend Parris beat her and forced her to confess so that his daughter and niece would not be accused of lying.
Tituba confessed that she was able to talk to animals, fly and cast spells.  She said that a tall mysterious man from Boston came to her and asked her to sign the devil’s book in blood.  When she was signing the book she said that she saw nine names, her own Sarah Good’s and Sarah Osburne’s, as well as six others that she could not see. This frightened everyone very much because it meant that there were six other witches in the community. People began accusing everyone in sight…
What happened to Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osburne? Were the girls acting bewitched for sport or were they really under a spell? Who was accused? Was anyone executed? All these questions and more are answered in the article “How It All Ended.” READ MORE!

Are “The Girls” Right?
By Homum

Good day to you all, and today we are going to discuss the hysteria problem with “The Girls.” Everyone knows them - Elizabeth, Abigail and their friends, and people are dying because of them. Today, we are going to explore their minds and find out if what they are doing and saying is true or not.
Let’s travel back a few months ago before these accusations started. The girls were said to have spent their evenings with Tituba, the Indian slave of Reverend Samuel Parris. Reverend Parris is the father of Elizabeth Parris, one of the “Girls.” Every so often the "Girls" would ask Tituba to practice her black magic and tell their fortunes. Around that very time the old beggar, Sarah Good, bothered the girls and asked for money. After their meetings the girls started acting very irregulaly as if they were possessed. They were questioned on who was possessing them and they stated various names, including Sarah Good.
What a coincidence! Maybe everyone they were accusing were the people they did not like. Catching on? Here is another example.

Around the same time Bridget Bishop wasn’t the best neighbor to have. She too was accused of being a witch. Another coincidence? Doesn’t this seem like people are accusing people who they don’t like?
Well, let future unfold and it will tell us the answer.

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
Exodus 22:18
by Lili, Jordan, Katie and Anna

"I am not a witch!” Nineteen villagers have sworn this statement this week, and there is no promising that you will not be accused.  Please listen! We have just gotten news from Elizabeth and Abigail on what to do!  For starters, NEVER look the witch or wizard in the eye! You should always go to church, that way you are less likely to be a victim of the devil.  You should go to your minister and report the name and the whereabouts of a witch or wizard.  Soon after that, you must go to the court. The demon must die!  I highly suggest that you fake a scream during the devil’s mark test. This way you will prove you are not a witch. Then the land is yours and the other witches will be hanged on Gallows Hill.
Witches are people who sell their soul to the devil. They sign the devil’s book with their blood. Witches are able to talk to animals and have ‘teats’ on their body. Witches are also said to be able to float in water and fly on their broomsticks. Do not get on their bad side because they will spoil your crops or even kill you. The witches in our community have bewitched Abigail Williams, Betty Parris and their friends.
If you have signs or symptoms of being a witch, the best thing to do is to confess to your minister. Other good things to do are take a bath in holy water, read the Holy Bible from cover to cover and put your family into hiding. And remember keep going to church!

There are many ways to know if you are a witch. Here are some of the ways:

If you have a witches mark,
If you have a mole, wart, or a pimple,
If you float when you are thrown into water,
If you are able to talk to animals,
If you can fly,
If you cast spells,
If you do not believe in God,
If you are not able to recite the Lord’s Prayer,
If you have three nipples,
If you are very jealous,
If you own a black cat,
If you are poor and disliked in the community,
If you do not go to church,
If you are not white,
If your hair is too curly, too long, too straight, too nappy, too dark, or too light,
If you have ever had déjà vu,
If your neighbor’s crop will not grow,
If you are a widow,
If your child owns a rag doll.        

If any of these things apply to you, I suggest you turn yourself in.