The Salem Witch Trials took place in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were suspected of being involved in witchcraft or "magic of the devil” and more than 19 were executed. Ultimately, the company admitted the trials were inaccurate and paid the families of those found guilty. Since then, the story of these trials has become indistinguishable from fear and discrimination, and it still remains to appeal to the general mind more than 300 years later. These rare events intensely change the way people look at their world. The Salem witchcraft trials did just that in the summer of 1692. Salem's misfortune, which saw nineteen suspected witches hanged and a few other accused witches die in prison, caused the colonists to reconsider both their association with the supernatural world and the type of procedural devices necessary to protect the accused. It is commonly believed that madness similar to that witnessed 308 years ago in Massachusetts could never again poison our justice system. More than a few centuries ago, many practicing Christians, as well as those of other religions, firmly believed that the Devil could give certain people recognized as witches the power to harm others in exchange for their loyalty. A “witchcraft craze” spread across Europe between the 1300s and the late 17th century. Tens of thousands of people believed to be witches (mostly women) were executed. However, the Salem Trials took place just as the European obsession was coming to an end, with local circumstances explaining their emergence. In 1689, English leaders William and Mary started a war with France in the American colonies, known as King William's War to the colonists; this wasted the areas of upstate New York, Nova Scotia and Quebec...... middle of paper ......s reverted to Salem's form, the " bad things” are not far off the pace, and corrective action has subsequently taken place to ensure that a spirit of free speech, heterogeneity, and individual dissent remains integral to the model of American identity. In my opinion, I think that the Salem witch trials did not have a very serious effect on American society. The Salem witch trials ended almost as soon as they began. People attribute many causes to why the Salem Witch Trials even began. These reasons range from economic difficulties to teenage boredom. The Salem Witch Trials affected American history by planting a deep satanic fear in America's roots, and although hunts and trials have continued throughout history, American or not, the Salem witch trials are the first ever recorded in America..