Why is Salem, MA important in American history?

The coastal city of Salem, Massachusetts is important in American history for several reasons. Salem was an important port city during the time of the Puritans, but Salem is probably better-remembered as the place in which the Salem witch trials took place in 1692 and 1693.
The incident of the Salem witch trials is considered by historians to be an important example of the effects of religious extremism on a society. 19 people died by hanging after being accused of witchcraft, but they were all innocent of these charges. Other innocents died in jail, imprisoned by authorities who were under the spell of mass hysteria. To this day, the term witch hunt is widely used as a way to describe opposition to an individual or to a group whose ideas are considered threatening in some way.