In Peter Charles Hoffer's book, The Salem Witchcraft Trials: A Legal History, Hoffer's tell the story of the Salem Witchcraft Trials and how they came to be. His thesis stated that criminal justice in Salem was led by the belief of Puritanism and the fear of the Devil. He supports his thesis in may ways throughout this book. They are also some weaknesses to his story. The force that drove Salem was both the Devil and God.
Hoffer's thesis is supported in many ways throughout this book. Salem was a religious town and people were respectful of this religion of they would be accused a witch. The idea that God and the Devil drove Salem is supported right away from this example on page one:.
It was safer, at least for the time being, for God-fearing, churchgoing men, women, and children to declare that they had met the Devil and bowed to Him than to insist that they remained faithful to the Lord's commandments. (Hoffer, 1).
When trying the case of a 14 year old boy the magistrates in Salem came to the conclusion that, "The Devil made him do it. He was powerless before the onslaught of forces greater than any person could resist." (Hoffer, 4). The idea that anyone who did not follow the Puritan belief or did something unreligious was led by the Devil, echoed throughout Salem. Everyone believed that the "cunning of witches came from a bargain with Satan" (Hoffer, 4). It was believed that the Devil sought out young children first and foremost which is why it was so easy to believe that these children had willingly or unwillingly made a pact with the Devil. When the girls are questioned, they immediately blame Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborn out of their own fear of being named a witch. The girls accusation were similar so the town of Salem chose to believe them without even questioning their motives or the fact they may be lying. The councilors in court that were to hear the case were not even lawyers or judges and had not been specially trained to handle court cases and criminal justice such as, John Evelyn who was a military man and also helped to appoint the other judges.