Salem and Andover were neighboring towns in Massachusetts, during the period of the infamous witch trials that are portrayed in The Crucible. Although the setting of the play is in Salem, the significance of Andover is that the people there revolted against the court, because they were tired of seeing so many of their townspeople falsely accused and hung. This rebellion was troubling news for the Salem judges, especially for Danforth. He and others feared that the people of Salem might be persuaded to follow those in Andover and throw over the court, thereby putting an end to the witch trials. More and more, the people in Salem were beginning to mistrust the court and blamed the witch trials for many of the bad things that were happening in the town. In Act 4, Reverend Hale returns to Salem with news of the revolt in Andover and he warns the officials that they too are courting a rebellion in Salem, by continuing to hold the witch trials which were based on lies and falsehood.
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