The Salem Witch Trials were an unexpected tragedy that lasted about a year. Several innocent people were sent to their deaths, mostly due to teenagers looking for fun. (The Salem Witch Trials: Wilson). Other catalysts were family feuds, epileptic seizures and a fungal agent found in rye. (Salem Witch Trials: Wilson) (The Witchcraft Trials in Salem: A Commentary). Rye can be eaten in the form of bread or cereal, because it is a similar ingredient to wheat, but it can sometimes be infected with ergot. Convulsive ergotism is caused by a fungus taking over still-growing rye grains, usually caused by exposure to hot or humid environments. One such event affected the rye consumed by Salem residents. Ergot causes violent attacks, tingling sensations on the skin, vomiting, choking and hallucinations. (The Witchcraft Trials in Salem: A Commentary). The Puritans were a group of people originally from England who turned away from the Catholic church, mainly because they wanted to "purify" their religion. They believed that they might lose God's faith in them if they did not live a pure and righteous life. The word puritan also means against pleasure and also referred to people deemed intolerant, selfish bigots. (Wikipedia: Puritan)(Salem Witch Trials: Wilson) A bigot is a person who strongly dislikes other people, ideas, etc. (merriam-webster: bigot) They thought that if they worked hard for money it would be good, even at the expense of others, and to them it meant that somehow God had blessed them. The Puritans believed that they were God's chosen people, also known as his "chosen ones", and that when they died, they would go to wander Heaven with him...center of the card...that's why we may not join the Mr. Parris in prayer, preaching, or sacraments... the said Mr. Parris has taught such dangerous errors, and preached such scandalous immortalities, that he must exempt every one from the work of the ministry..." (Salem Witchcraft: Compromising More Wonders of the World invisible, collected by Robert Calef; E, Wonders of the Invisible World, by Cotton Mather: together with notes and explanations Page 161 in the center). defendants were killed, four had died in prison, one man had been forced to death, and two hundred people were arrested The Salem witch trials were a horrible time in history. This was mainly due to the entertainment of teenagers, family feuds, the epileptic fits or to the sick rye. (The Salem witchcraft trials: a commentary).