In around 1692, suspicions began to arise about some devilish works of the people in Salem village. Tituba, the Barbadian slave of minister Reverend Samuel Parris, began meeting in the Parris home with the young girls of Salem Village. These girls included Rev. Parris' daughter, Betty, her cousin, Abigail, and several other girls and unmarried women. When Betty and Abigail became very ill and started acting in strange behaviors, soon it was believed that the devil's hand was on them. The Salem witch trials began because of the strict Puritan religion, the devastating pasts of the civilians of Salem, and teenage boredom.

The Puritans believed in "providential magic." They were constantly searching for clues to God's purposes in the world. They saw what they thought of as "God's remarkable Providences in the world" or "remarkables" for short. Diaries of the villagers claim some very strange sightings. These sightings included...