In 1692, a witch panic of epidemic proportions swept through the county of Essex in Massachusetts. The panic began in Salem Village, spread rapidly through the neighboring communities, and soon engulfed the entire county. During that year, townsfolk and villagers brought formal charges of witchcraft against one hundred and fifty-six people. These accused witches came from twenty-four towns and villages. By early October, when governor William Phips halted the trials, nineteen people had been hanged, one man had died under interrogation, and over one hundred suspects were languishing in jail. The witch hysteria was most intense in Salem Village and Andover: over half of the accusations originated in these two communities. Yet the special court appointed to deal with the crisis presided over cases from all over the county.

The panic began in the early winter months of 1692, when several girls in Salem Village began to suffer strange “fits” and “distempers.” The local physician, William Griggs, examined the girls and concluded that they were “under an Evil Hand.” Samuel Parris, minister at Salem Village, was the father of one afflicted girl and uncle of another; clearly, the villagers would look to Parris for an appropriate response. For over a month, Parris pursued a regimen of prayer and fasting.