What exactly is witchcraft and magic and what did it mean to New Englanders in the late seventeenth century? We’re joined by historian Alyssa Conary who helps us understand these important questions.  

During the turbulent month of March 1692, accusations of witchcraft from a handful of girls turns into a full-blown crisis. In this episode, we unravel the events of this pivotal month to reveal the critical role that it played in turning the Salem witch hunt into an unprecedented disaster.

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘witch hunt?’ 

• Read Professor Moriarty's article, "Wonders of the Invisible World Prosecutorial Syndrome and Profile Evidence in the Salem Witchcraft Trials," in the Vermont Law Review, Vol. 26, No. 43

As English settlers began moving into the northern frontier of New England in the mid-17th century, clashes with the native population there often had brutal results. Years later, a surprising number of those who lived though this tumultuous period in the region known as the ‘Eastward Frontier’ played central roles in the Salem witch hysteria.

We’re joined by Professor Mary Beth Norton, whose groundbreaking work on this startling connection helped to change how we think about the Salem Witch Trials.

• Mary Beth Norton is the author of numerous books, including In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692.

When two young girls in the household of Salem Reverend Samuel Parris begin to experience strange behaviors, three women find themselves accused of witchcraft. Historian Kathleen Brown, the David Boies Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, helps us understand the beginnings of the witch hunt during the first few months of 1692. 

Learn more about Professor Brown's book, Undoing Slavery: Bodies, Race, and Rights in the Age of Abolition

In our first episode, Greg is joined by Daniel Gagnon, a historian and author of A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse (Westholme), who explains the context that led to the witch hysteria in Salem in 1692. He discusses the Puritans who settled Salem, their beliefs, as well as their relationship with the native populations.

Learn more

• Daniel Gagnon’s book: A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse

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Most of us have heard about the Salem Witch Trials, but what do we know about what really happened in and around Salem, Massachusetts in 1692?

The Salem Witch Trials Podcast, hosted by Greg Houle, goes beyond the myth and gets to the heart of the action. Beginning in October 2023, we will release episodes that include interviews with experts who will shed light onto the people and events of that horrifying year, as well as provide valuable context that help us understand how and why this tragedy took place.

Music: "The Last Whale" by Jelsonic from the Free Music Archive, license CC BY