The title refers to the growing political upheaval in the colonies and the upheaval in the Frasers' lives.
There is discussion of king snakes and the danger of handling them. A king snake is not venomous, but a coral snake, which has a somewhat similar pattern of colored bands over then length of its body, is extremely poisonous. Charlatans would often use king snakes during tent show revivals.
Malva mentions that she saw a king snake. The eastern king snake is a non-venomous resident of North Carolina.