Introduction

Conservative and liberal views on religion had fractured the people, but so had socioeconomic differences. The wealthier, more liberal, coastal elites of Salem town sat in direct opposition to the inland conservatives who wanted a much more strict church life. Most people were farmers, working the land as either indentured servants or low-income settlers. It was hard to nail down one specific reason why no one could get along. But looking back it seems like they were divided along lines that sound eerily familiar to us today.