on school field trips to Salem, just like to Revolutionary War memorials and battle fields in Concord, Lexington, Boston, and to see where the Puritans landed and lived in Plymouth, plus to other historical places in our state.

Strong speculation then regarding the Salem witch trials was that it was mass hysteria in the young & susceptible girls who were involved in and learning about forbidden topics, herbs, and supposed witchcraft spells from Tituba, the enslaved servant woman.

She talked about "black magic" and all kinds of stuff strictly forbidden at that time..Clearky the girls felt guilt, shame, and tremendous fear of discovery, plus possible terror that "God" was going to punish them. They also ate and drank concoctions that Tituba made for them very likely containing hallucinogenic herbs and plants.

Tituba was a Native American from Barbados who was taken by whites, enslaved and taught housekeeping, cooking, how to read, and to be a house servant. In her youth amongst her tribe, she clearly learned about herbs, hallucinogenics, spells, chants, and so on from her Native elders. Those things were considered evil and uncivilized by white Christians of every stripe.

Certainly the girls were scared and called her a witch. Hallucinogenics can create wildly imaginative dreams on trips. A bunch of them eating them or talking about "dark magic" could easily send them into "short term madness", explaining the physical manifestations.

Young people especially are vulnerable to the power of suggestion and to euphoria about stuff they obsess over. Look at the young girls screaming, all asqueal, and fainting at the site of the Beatles.

So that's my thoughts on Salen witch trials. After a couple of the accused were executed, why not accuse teachers or adults who annoyed them of being witches to be rid of them? Getting carried away in a crowd is a very human failure.