Who started it?
Elizabeth (Betty) Parris was the daughter of Reverend Samuel Parris. Lived from November 28th, 1682 to March 21st, 1760. She was nine years at time of witch trials. She and cousin, Abigail, began have "fits" during 1691.
Reverend Samuel Parris was the puritan minister of salem during the witch trials. He was the father of Betty and uncle of Abigail. He was a source of tension within the community. It soon evolved into a commitee not approving a tax to support his income any longer. When his daughter began with her symptoms, his support was mostly by encouraging the hysteria.
Abigail Williams was the neice of Reverend Parris. She came to live with them when they moved to Salem. She began having fits at the same time as her cousin, Betty.
Other notable people: Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott all began having the symptoms as well. This only increased the hysteria within Salem.