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A religious group called Puritans is a late 16th-century religious reform movement that emerged inside the Church of England. The Puritans in America built the social, political, and religious structure of early New England. Long into the 19th century, Puritanism in Colonial America influenced American religion, society, and history. Although the Puritans sought independence, they had no concept of tolerance. The main reason they came to America was to gain religious freedom for themselves. The Indians, who lived in Connecticut and Rhode Island, were not treated with much tolerance or even respect. They referred to them as the heathens. They took over the land and gained independence.

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In the spring of 1692, a group of adolescent girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, alleged that they were under the devil's sway and accused numerous local women of practicing witchcraft. This sparked the historic Salem witch trials. The town was terrified they then started accusing many women. If the women wouldn't confess they would be put through brutal tests. Even if they were innocent they still were killed.

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During the winter and spring of 1692–1693 in Salem, Massachusetts, the most well-known witch trial in history took place. When it was all said and done, 141 accused women were put on trial for witchcraft. Nineteen people were hanged to death. Heavy stones crushed one to death. The other women in the court room would often repeat what the questioned women was saying or faint to make it look like there was a spell being casted on them. This was to make the women being questioned look like they were lying about not being a witch.

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John Calvin and his followers developed the Protestant theological philosophy known as Calvinism, which places a strong emphasis on the doctrines of predestination and divine grace. Calvinist principles like absolute depravity, determinism, imitated atonement, and arrogance were held by Puritans.
In the end, the Puritans were a theocracy—a group ruled by God. The witch hysteria was undoubtedly exacerbated by Calvinistic views about the prevalence of witchcraft. This is because they were associated with Satan, such actions were dreaded.

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According to the City Upon a Hill Theory, the Massachusetts Bay Colony would be an ideal society with a strong work ethic and a biblical understanding of God. The idea for "City Upon A Hill" was developed by Jon Winthrop with the intention of serving as an example for other Christians worldwide. Having said that, Puritans founded universities like Harvard, Princeton, and others that trained young men to become preachers and teach the Bible. They propagated the ideas that absolute depravity, or the idea that everyone is a sinner at birth, is prevalent and that "grace" is a free gift of redemption. These theories certainly contributed to the Crucible by establishing who engages in unholy activities and who does not.