The Salem Witch Trials The Salem Massachusetts witchcraft trials of the late 1700’s have been the subject of debate for centuries. There are many theories as to why this hysteria took over the Puritan community during this time. One theory is that it was just a product of the times, because during this same time period, there were also witch-hunts in Europe. A second theory is that this happened during a very stressful time for this Puritan community and this made them a prime target for this type of hysteria. And a third possible theory proposed by some is that there was a contamination of the rye flour that was used for baking bread