Answer:
The story of "The Devil and Tom Walker" was during the 1700s in Boston, right about after the Revolutionary War when the new country of America began to prosper away from the colonialist rule. In regards to the period and the fascination of the people for any treasures that might have been left by the colonizers, it is a perfect setting to make the story more relatable and believable.
Explanation:
Washington Irving's story "The Devil and Tom Walker" narrates the story of a Tom and his wife who are greedy for wealth and Tom making a pact with the devil for wealth and success in his life in exchange fro his soul. Though the story is set in the early 1700s, in the American colony of Boston, the issue of colonizers leaving the place and buried treasures myth revolving all around the people, it is probable for the story to be reasonable. Also, Irving wrote this story while he himself was in Germany and he had been fascinated with the story of Faust by Christopher Marlowe about a man who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for riches and fame. The 18th century for America saw the emergence of the independent republic of the nation and it is with this new exodus of the colonizers that the stories of left behind treasures and wealth began. With this backdrop and the influence of the Faust legend, it is possible to make the story work.
