Why did people die in Salem Massachusetts? Why were innocent people tried, convicted, and hanged? In Salem Village in 1692 over 20 people were accused, and executed for an invisible crime called witchcraft. Mass hysteria played a vital role in the decomposition of a society. If mass hysteria did not occur in Salem Village in 1692, many peoples lives, and reputations would have been spared. In a little Massachusetts village in 1692 hysteria was running rampant. The hysteria was …showed first 75 words of 804 total…

…showed last 75 words of 804 total…reverend Parris. Betty, Parris’ daughter caught “fright” after Abigail made a spell on Goody Proctor. When confronted with these facts the girls started to tell lies, lies that would hurt families and eventually an entire nation. The girls involved, being so young and impressionable, began to believe that the townspeople where bewitching them. The townspeople did believe that their friends and neighbors whom had never shown any signs of witchcraft before, where in actuality witches.