The twelve-year-old Abigail Williams was the first accuser in the Salem Witch Trials. She lived with her uncle, Samuel Parris, in Salem after her parents were killed by Native Americans. Elizabeth Parris would quickly join Abigail in her accusations against many of the citizens of Salem.
It all began with Abigail and Elizabeth. According to eyewitness Reverend Deodat Lawson, the two girls began to have fits, which caused them to run around the rooms, flailing their arms, ducking under chairs, contorting their bodies, and even trying to run up the chimney.
It was a sight that caused much stir and discussion. It was believed that the girl's actions were too severe to be considered epileptic fits, and with the spiritual awareness of the Puritans, they deduced the cause was connected with witchcraft.
One of Parris’ slaves, named Tituba, was then asked to bake a witch cake, rye mixed with the afflicted girls' urine, and feed the mixture to a dog. The theory was that the dog would exhibit similar symptoms if Abigail and Betty were bewitched, and it would prove that witchcraft was indeed being practiced.
The accusations began to come, and three women were arrested. Each of the women was found guilty due to the testimony of the girls. The girl's accusations rapidly spread throughout Salem and the surrounding villages of Massachusetts Bay Colony. The trials continued and ended with 19 people dead.
The accused had a hard time proving their innocence due to the use of spectral evidence. This method of accusation was done effectively by Abigail Williams and others, especially Ann Putnam Jr.
Abigail Williams accused many people of witchcraft but only took part in eight of the trials, vanishing about halfway through, and there are no solid records indicating what happened to her after the witch trials ended.
The individuals that she accused were as follows:
Some have rumored that Mercy Lewis (another girl involved in the trials) and Abigail Williams left Salem on a ship and, years later, found Abigail as a prostitute in Boston, Massachusetts. None of this is confirmed.