The Salem Witch Trials began during the spring of 1692 in the village of Salem (now Danvers), Massachusetts (Salem Witch Trials, 2014). There were more than two hundred people accused of practicing witchcraft and nineteen were executed for it. Religion was extremely important to Puritans, regardless of age, and individual differences were frowned upon (Source 4). Puritans were expected to live by a strict moral code. They believed that all sins deserved punishment and that if something bad happened, such as a sick child or a neighbor's failed harvest, they did not help because it was God's will. It is important to note that at that time the Puritans believed that the Hell give weak people special and evil powers if they swore loyalty to him. These people were called witches (Blumberg, 2007). For three hundred years before the Salem witch trials, a “witchcraft craze” spread across Europe where tens of thousands of people, mostly women, were executed. In 1689, the English rulers William and Mary began a war with France in the American colonies. New York state was devastated and sent refugees to Salem. The refugees have put a strain on Salem's resources. Puritans believed in witches and their ability to harm others, and this made many people suspicious of each other and created a lot of tension. A recent smallpox epidemic had spread in early 1692 and killed approximately five hundred people. Smallpox was brought with people traveling from Europe to America, making people extremely hectic and careful not to contract the disease. Apprehension within the community continued to grow (Source 11). This “witchcraft craze”, along with the suspicions and resentment of their neighbors, is what put the star… in the center of the card… card users could do nothing but speculate, and think that was a stress-induced condition (Source 20). The Salem witch trials connect to what we are learning in Core Two right now because it shows us how people in 1692 defined themselves as human beings. According to the accusers, witches were seen as anything but human beings and were not worthy of living. They killed the accused witches so that they could feel safe and protected in their village. Simply because something was happening that they couldn't understand, they had to get rid of it. Mass hysteria and irrational fear is not something that just happened during the Salem witch trials, and it could happen again. Mass hysteria causes people to do things and believe things they otherwise wouldn't believe. Companies that feel threatened look for something or someone to hold accountable so they can solve the problem at hand.