Niagara University Library: Monthly Book Spotlight -- October 2002

In the Devil's Snare
by
Mary Beth Norton

Mary Beth Norton's In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692 is a fresh and provocative look at the Salem Witch Trials, one of the earliest known cases of mass hysteria in North America. A subject of much discussion and interpretation by historians and psychologists, much of what has been written about Salem Witch Trials has focused on the dynamics within the Salem community and the fate of those accused of practicing witchcraft. Though Norton, a noted professor of American History, examines these internal dynamics in great detail, she has expanded the scope of her study to include the ongoing conflict with the Wabanaki Indian tribe that was occurring at that time on the northeastern frontier of New England.

In In the Devil's Snare, Norton finds a strong correlation between the tragedy within Salem and the conflict with the Wabanakis. As she points out, the northern frontier was still unknown territory to the settlers. The ongoing war with the Wabanakis had a powerful impact on those in settled communities such as Salem, creating strong feelings of fear and uncertainty about their future in the New World. At times, this manifested itself in the belief that even God Himself was against them; thus, the feeling of security for these early settlers was at best tenuous. In exploring the lives of those involved in the Salem Witch Trials, Norton finds that many of them were directly affected by the Wabanaki war, be it through the loss of loved ones or the total destruction of their entire settlement.Two such settlers, Mercy Lewis and Abigail Hobbs began to develop seizures, which they attributed to being the work of Satan and of witchcraft. Their statements opened a floodgate of accusations, which in time resulted in 144 people being accused of practicing witchcraft, of which twenty would be hanged. Norton also suggests that the authorities may have encouraged some of the hysteria as a way to obscure their mismanagement of the Wabanki war.

In the Devil's Snare is a skillful reminder of how fear and uncertainty, particularly in times of war can easily overtake a community. As Norton herself concludes, "Had the Second Indian War on the northeastern frontier somehow been avoided, the Essex County witchcraft crisis of 1692 would not have occurred. This is not to say the war `caused' the witchcraft crisis, but rather that the conflict created the conditions that caused the crisis to develop as rapidly and extensively as it did. "Though scholars such as Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum have attributed The Salem Witch Crisis to political and economic discord, In the Devil's Snare breaks new ground in with its exploration of the ongoing Indian wars and the impact that they had on the psyche of the more established communities such as Salem.

In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692 can be found on the second floor of the Library. The call # is BF 1575.N67 2002. The library also has the following books by Mary Beth Norton. Liberty's daughters: the Revolutionary Experience of American Women, 1750-1800 (Call# HQ1418.N67) and Women of America: a History (Call# HQ1410.W65).

For additional information on the Salem Witch Trials the Library has recently added the following books to its collection. The Salem witch trials: a Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege (BF1575.R63 2002) by Marilynne K. Roach and The Salem Witch Trials Reader (BF1576.H55 2000) by Francis Hill.

This Monthly Book Spotlight was written by Jonathan Coe.