The Salem witch trials were the most famous, deadliest, and most studied trials in the British colonies according to author Brian Pavlac.(138) What began as a game of innocent child ended with 19 dead and one killed by being pressed to death with stones. The events were horrific, tragic and filled with irrational behavior. The people of Salem, who were mostly of Puritan background, were driven by fear to arrest those who consorted with the devil and cleanse their town of all evil. This, however, remains to be seen as the true intention of all those involved in the witch hunt. These trials, which took place from the winter of 1691 to the summer of 1693, were a period of uncertainty, paranoia, and deception. The question remains, however: were these so-called "witches" really consorting with the devil, or was it simply a ploy to dissolve feuds between neighbors and families and preserve the good reputation of the families whose was all this born? The events began in the winter of 1691. “To cure their boredom, the young children of Paris entertained the idea of ​​Satan in the house of the Lord.” (Rice 17) These two girls were related to the town pastor. “One, nine-year-old Betty Parris, was the pastor’s daughter and the other, eleven-year-old Abigail Williams, was the pastor’s niece.” (Rice 15) They were under the care of a slave named Tituba. She entertained the girls on cold winter nights with stories from her old life. However, these two girls had very different personalities. Marion L. Starkey, from Rice's book, describes both: Nine-year-old Betty Parris was a sweet, obedient little girl, ready to obey anyone who spoke with conviction, including... middle of paper. .... .o, CA: Lucent, 1999. Print. April 2011. MacBain, Jenny. The Salem Witch Trials: A primary source for the history of the witchcraft trials in Salem, Massachusetts. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2003. Print. April 2011. Nardo, Don. The Salem Witch Trials. Detroit: Lucent, 2007. Print. April 2011. Pavlac, Brian Alexander. Witch hunts in the Western world: persecution and punishment from the Inquisition to the Salem trials. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2009. Print. April 2011. Rice Jr., Earle. The Salem Witch Trials. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 1997. Print. April 2011. “Salem Witch Trials FAQ.” Salem Witch Trials Page - History of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Internet. May 02, 2011. . April 2011. Starkey, Marion Lena. The Devil in Massachusetts: A Modern Investigation of the Salem Witch Trials. New York: Anchor, 1989. Print. April 2011.