- The Great European witch-hunt began in France in the 1420s. Peaking between 1580 and 1640, witch-hunts spread across Europe particularly to Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Scotland, and England. Thousands were accused and executed for devil worship.
- Believing in the supernatural, witches, evil spirits, and magic was common among colonists who came from England and Europe.
- Salem residents believed in witches, but the community was also split into quarreling factions that accused each other of moral failings. Bitter resentment of one family toward another was not uncommon.
- Most all accusations of witchcraft occurred when one neighbor or family accused another of causing them harm.
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