Final answer:
The Salem community felt under threat due to violent encounters with Native Americans, a smallpox outbreak, and a decline of religion in nearby areas, all of which contributed to the Salem witch trials.
Step-by-step explanation:
The feeling of threat within the Salem community in the late 17th century can be attributed to a combination of factors, including violent encounters with Native Americans, an outbreak of smallpox, and the decline of religion in the area. These hardships were part of a larger backdrop of anxiety and disquiet leading to the Salem witch trials. The Puritan belief in the supernatural and the Devil's work in society heightened the sense of fear and vulnerability.
Violent encounters with indigenous populations created a traumatic backdrop that influenced the witch trials, while smallpox, a lethal European disease to which Native Americans had no immunity, devastated populations and added to the community's feeling of a world in turmoil. The decline of religious orthodoxy and challenges to Puritan dominance, including the rise of dissenters, also contributed to a feeling of religious and social undercurrents threatening the status quo. Ultimately, these factors fostered an environment ripe for panic and the subsequent witch trials.