In the manual, religion is described as the primary cause of Salem's witch hysteria. In America Possessed, however, the main reason is said to be the result of social conflicts and a power struggle between the major groups in Salem. Although the manual discusses different causes, much like Salem Possessed, there is never any mention of the impact of Salem's two most influential groups on the witch trials. This may be due to a time limitation of the book, as including so much detail would require the textbook and course to be much more detailed.