Fear swept through Massachusetts in 1692. Neighbors accused neighbors; children accused adults. For centuries, the Salem witch trials have resulted in fascination and fear - but with few specific psychological explanations beyond "mass hysteria." Now, in The Devil Made Me Do It, award-winning psychologists Dr. Thomas Heinzen and Dr. Wind Goodfriend explain not just what happened, but why.
Their analysis moves beyond simple superstition to reveal the powerful social psychology that turns ordinary people toward extraordinary injustice and cruelty. Using contemporary research to understand historical events, they explore moral panics, confirmation bias, group conformity, false confessions, scapegoating, and more. The authors bring Salem's key figures to life as they uncover fresh lessons about persecution, prejudice, and the importance of separating church and state.
The Devil Made Me Do It is a cautionary tale about America's first flirtation with Christian nationalism and ultimately with human nature itself. Our greatest threats do not come from people with evil intentions. They come from misplaced certainty: the conviction that whatever we are doing must be God's will.