| Time Period of the Salem Witch Trials During the time period of the Salem Witch Trials there were several things happening in America and Europe. King Williams War (1689- 1697) was ragging on the frontier with the French and their Indian allies attacking the English colonies. The English and their Indian allies were attacking the French in Canada. Many English colonists were killed or captured by the French and Indians at this time. The war ended in 1697 with the singing of the Treaty of Ryswick. Another factor that was influencing the English colonies was immigration. After 1680 England ceased to be the main source of immigration. Great numbers of immigrants were coming to the English colonies from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and Switzerland. By 1690 there were over a quarter of a million people in the colonies. This blending of coulters caused a melting pot effect. The colonies themselves were market ably different; for an example, when comparing the commercial and industrial New England with the agrarian society in the south. Finally there was a great deal of superstition and religious intolerance prevalent at this time. Thousands of people in Europe had been killed for witchcraft prior to the Salem Witch Trials. Religion played a very important part in the social structure of the English colonists of this time. Specifically the Puritan Church in Massachusetts was not known for its religious tolerance and combining that with the prevailing superstitious beliefs, it is not surprising as to what happened in Salem in 1692. |