Super Short Summary

In the Devil’s Snare by Mary Beth Norton examines the Salem witch trials of 1692, linking their origins to the socio-political turmoil of King William’s War and the fear instilled by the Wabanaki attacks. Accusations, primarily led by affected young women, escalated rapidly, with the trials characterized by public examinations, spectral evidence, and a growing number of accused individuals across social strata. The narrative reveals how these trials reflected broader colonial anxieties and failures in leadership during frontier conflicts. The book features depictions of violence, murder, and mistreatment of Indigenous peoples, and includes dated and derogatory terms in direct quotations.