The Church had a huge influence on the Puritan religion. The New England colonists had come here primarily for religious reasons because they did not agree with the Protestant Church of England. The settler came to America looking for a new home and a place to live where they could have a community based on their common religious beliefs. In their community they had a closed society built around their church and their activities. Puritan life basically revolves around the church which influenced how they lived their daily lives. They had to go to church twice a week, attend long sermons and avoid dancing, which was considered a sinful act. There were events leading up to the Salem witch trials of 1692. Europeans strongly believed in the practice of the devil giving some humans the ability to harm others in exchange for loyalty. Puritan life in the village of Salem was harsh because they were dealing with the aftermath of the British War in France, there was a smallpox epidemic, and they feared attacks from a nearby Native American tribe. All these events led people to have suspicions about their neighbors and fears of anyone who was a stranger. In January 1692 the events of the Salem Witch Trials began in Salem, Massachusetts, when nine-year-old Elizabeth (Betty) Parris and eleven-year-old Abigail Williams began behaving bizarrely, making strange noises, behaving in eccentric ways, and complaining of heachache. “When a local doctor named William Griggs came to see what was wrong with the girls, he diagnosed that they were bewitched. “The Puritans believed that to be bewitched a WITCH had to lure an individual under a spell” (ushistory.org). Dr. Griggs blamed the “Evil Hand” as the root cause of the diagnosis……half of paper…….legendsofamerica.com/ma-salemcourt3.html.2. Lewis, Jone J. "Chronology of the Salem Witch Trials." About.com Women's History. 2013. November 13, 2013. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/witchesamerica/ss/Salem-Witch-Trials-Timeline_2.htm.3. Lewis, Jone J. "Victims of the Salem Witch Trials." About.com Women's History. November 13, 2013. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/salempeople/tp/Victims-Of-The-Salem-Witch-Trials.htm.4. “Salem Witch Trials.” 2013. The History Channel website. November 12, 2013. http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials5. “Facts about the Salem Witch Trials – Witchcraft Accusations from 1692 to 1693.” Total History of the Salem Witch Trials. November 14, 2013. http://totallyhistory.com/salem-witch-trials/.6. “Salem Witch Trials – Learning Adventures.” Salem Witch Trials - Learning Adventures. November 13, 2013. http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials