In January of 1692, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village became ill. When they failed to improve, the village doctor, William Griggs, diagnosed bewitchment and put into motion a "witch hysteria" that would ultimately result in the death by hanging of nineteen men and women. In addition one man was pressed (crushed) to death for refusing trial; seventeen others died in prison, and the lives of many were irrevocably changed. Many factors lead to the witch hysteria of Salem. There were the daily stresses of 17th-century colonial life; a strong belief in Satan, factions of village fanatics, rivalry with a nearby town, a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion. Prisons were soon filled with more than 150 men and women from towns surrounding Salem. Their names had been "cried out" by tormented young girls who claimed the "specters" of witches in the village were tormenting them. Many of the accused were tricked or forced to confess and all would await trial for a crime punishable by death in 17th-century New England, the practice of witchcraft. downloaded from: http://www.ancestry.com/home/celebrate/salem/index.html