Religion was a powerful force at play in the Salem settlement. It not only determined the villagers’ daily routine but their whole outlook on life, influencing how they saw their neighbours and giving shape to their fears about threats to their community. In this episode we’ll be investigating how the Puritanical mindset stirred up intense paranoia about the devil, and could have made people more inclined to confess to satanic corruption.

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Want to hear more? Browse the rest of the episodes in our series Investigating the Salem witch trials

Authors

Ellie CawthornePodcast editor, HistoryExtra

Ellie Cawthorne is HistoryExtra’s podcast editor. She also contributes to BBC History Magazine, runs the podcast newsletter and hosts several live and virtual BBC History Magazine events.

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