The Devil's Disciples: The Makers of the Salem Witchcraft Trials

by Peter Charles Hoffer

Honorable Mention in the History Category for the Professional and Scholarly Book Award Mention the term witch hunt , and Salem, Massachusetts, springs to mind—and with it the power of superstition, the danger of mob mentality, and our natural fear of gross injustice. For more than a year, between January 1692 and May 1693, the men and women of Salem village lived in heightened fear of witches and their master, the Devil. Hundreds were accused of practicing witchcraft. Many suspects languished in jail for months. Nineteen men and women were hanged; one was pressed to death. Neighbors turned against neighbors, children informed on their parents, and ministers denounced members of their congregations. How could a settled community turn so viciously against itself? Why were certain persons accused and condemned while others were not? And why did the incidents of Salem occur where and when they did? Approaching the subject as a legal and social historian, Peter Charles Hoffer offers a fresh look at the Salem outbreak based on recent studies of panic rumors, teen hysteria, child abuse, and intrafamily relations. He brings to life a set of conversations—in taverns and courtrooms, at home and work—which took place among suspected witches, accusers, witnesses, and spectators. The accusations, denials, and confessions of this legal story eventually resurrect the tangled internal tensions that lay at the bottom of the Salem witch hunts.

Genres: History

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Devil's Disciples is a well-reasoned overview of the Salem Witch Trials by Peter Charles Holfer. It is easy to read and there are times when Holfer gives a very good picture at what life would have like in Salem Village in the 1690s. I very much appreciated Holfer's decision to look at the many theories that attempt to explain the afflicted girls' fits without giving more weight to his preferred explanation. A more critical approach would be welcomed, but I liked getting an overview of the theories themselves without knowing which one was the author's pet theory. Additionally, Holfer spends some time discussing figures like Tituba, Samuel Parris and Cotton Mathers, allowing these pivotal figures to come across vividly to readers.

However, I didn't feel that I learnt anything new during my reading and felt there was some generalisation going on in Holfer's text. I also felt that the book was quick to bring up the suggestion of (often sexual) abuse as a possible explanation or motivator for the various figures in the trials. To be entirely fair, Holfer makes it clear that he's not claiming abuse occurred, but suggesting it possibly did and it may explain certain elements of the witch trials. However, I believe that such suggestions needed to be handled more sensitively and used less liberally than they were.

The Devil's Disciples is perhaps best read as an introduction to the Salem Witch Trials. While it is a good, solid read, it added little to my own understanding of events.

[Joshua Hutchinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many errors and too many outdated assumptions. Cannot recommend

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Devil's Disciples is well-researched study presented in a pleasant, readable style. One of the problems with many of the Salem witch trial books is that the authors try to ascribe the entire phenomenon to only a single cause. Hoffer successfully examines various possibilities and integrates them, showing how a multitude of factors conspired to generate and sustain the hysteria.