The Year of the Witching grounds its fantasy narrative in the historical realities of theocratic societies, particularly the Puritan colonies of 17th-century New England. The fictional land of Bethel mirrors early American theocracies like those established in colonial Massachusetts, the site of the infamous Salem witch trials. Colonial Massachusetts was dominated by conservative Puritan leaders like Nathaniel Ward, whose prominence in the church granted them immense power. Women in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were considered spiritually and socially subordinate to men, and were not allowed to vote. Henderson’s novel dramatizes this patriarchal structure through the dominance of the Prophet and the Apostles, who dictate every aspect of life in Bethel. Bethel’s “Holy Protocol” (9), which curtails women’s education and autonomy and culminates in the ritualistic “cutting” that marks them as property of their husbands, may find its inspiration in the Massachusetts Body of Liberty, written by Nathaniel Ward.

From 1691-1692, a moral panic spread across colonial Massachusetts as more than 200 people, mostly women, were accused of witchcraft. As a result of the panic, nineteen people were executed by hanging, while another six died while being tortured or held imprisoned. The trials targeted people on the margins of colonial society, in particular older widows without family support. The fact that the victims included midwives, and women with visible mental health issues suggests that the victims may have not conformed to colonial expectations. Although Immanuelle is younger than most of the victims of the Salem witch trials, her heritage as an Outsider puts her on the margins of society. For Henderson, witchcraft is not a sign of damnation but a source of rebellion. Immanuelle’s journey to reclaim this power serves as a direct subversion of the historical forces that have used religion to oppress marginalized people.