The Salem witch trial hysteria of 1692 was caused by a combination of factors. First, there was a recent outbreak of witchcraft in England, which may have made people more suspicious of witches. Second, there was a belief at the time that Satan was active in the world and that witches were his servants. This made people more likely to believe that witches were real and that they were capable of harming people. Third, there was a lot of social and political tension in Salem at the time. This made people more likely to believe that someone was trying to harm them through witchcraft. Finally, there were several girls in Salem who were acting strangely. This may have been due to natural causes, such as puberty, but it also made people more likely to believe that they were possessed by demons or witches.