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Deep Social Divides In Salem
- Salem was split along religious and socioeconomic lines, with coastal elites clashing with inland conservatives.
- Those divisions set the stage for mistrust that later fueled witchcraft accusations.
Charter Loss Undermined Legal Order
- The 1628 royal charter created the legal and social framework Massachusetts relied on for decades.
- Losing that charter left Salem politically untethered just before the trials began.
Political Upheaval Removed Safeguards
- England annulled Massachusetts's charter in 1684 amid English political upheaval.
- Without charter authority, Salem lacked normal legal checks when witch accusations emerged.