1692 was a year of great upheaval in Europe and the world between the established powers of that time. In France, King Louis XIV had just launched an aggressive campaign of territorial expansion against neighboring countries and was in the process of expanding his hold on the continent. Across the channel in England, the Glorious Revolution had begun as William of Orange replaced the Catholic James II on the thrones of England and Scotland. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Europe, Austria, Prussia, and Sweden engaged each other in a series of alliances and warfare in order to expand their territories. In Asia, the Qing Dynasty held on to power in China while Japan’s Edo period saw warriors, merchants and a growing merchant class.
Meanwhile, in the Americas, 1692 was known as the Year of the Witchcraft Trials, something that occurred primarily in colonial Massachusetts. Hundreds of people were accused of witchcraft and dozens were executed because of it. It was seen as an example of the fear, paranoia and superstition of the time. Native American tribes in the Americas faced continued conflict with the encroaching Europeans over land, resources, and territory. In the Spanish colonies in South America, the forces of independence under Simón Bolívar began to gain momentum in the liberation of the region from Spanish rule.