The Salem witch trials were not started by one single person ; they began in early 1692 after a group of girls in Salem Village, including Abigail Williams and Betty Parris, began showing strange behavior, and accusations followed. A key early trigger was the accusation of Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne on March 1, 1692.

What set it off

  • The first illnesses and accusations happened in Reverend Samuel Parris’s household.
  • Local authorities then questioned the accused, which helped turn the panic into the formal trials.
  • So, the trials were started by a chain of accusations and fear , not by one mastermind.

Simple answer

If you want the shortest version: the Salem witch trials were started by accusations from the afflicted girls in Salem Village, especially after Tituba and two other women were accused.

TL;DR: No single person “started” them; the crisis began with accusations in Salem Village in 1692.