The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials

In this episode of 'The Thing About Salem,' hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack explore the various ways the Salem Witch Trials have been depicted in films and TV shows over the decades. They discuss the historical and fictional elements in productions like 'The Crucible,' 'Maid of Salem,' the 'Bewitched' TV series, and 'Hocus Pocus,' highlighting how these portrayals have shaped and transformed Salem's image in popular culture. The episode also covers works such as 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' and 'Three Sovereigns for Sarah,' emphasizing the ongoing cultural fascination with this dark chapter in American history.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Salem in Pop Culture

01:04 Maid of Salem and The Crucible

02:37 Salem Witch Trials miniseries and Hocus Pocus

05:01 Bewitched and Sabrina the Teenage Witch

10:07 The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Three Sovereigns for Sarah

13:49 Conclusion: The Legacy of Salem in Pop Culture

Links

The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

The Thing About Salem website

The Thing About Salem concludes our exclusive three-part series with Ben Wickey as we explore the modern implications of his debut graphic novel "More Weight: A Salem Story" in Part 3. With the book out now, we examine why this Salem Witch Trials story resonates powerfully with contemporary readers.

Wickey discusses Salem's modern identity and how his work addresses the town's complex relationship with its tragic past. We explore the visual challenges of depicting historical horror, his artistic influences including Alan Moore's impact on his creativity, and why he chose a mature rating for responsible storytelling about historical brutality.

What aspects of the 1692 witch trials feel most relevant today? We discuss modern witch hunts, the importance of authentic historical narratives in pop culture, and how Wickey's ancestral connection influenced his approach to Salem's psychological darkness.

This final installment reveals why critics are calling this an "appalling masterpiece" and how More Weight will reshape how we understand Salem's legacy for future generations.

Keywords: Ben Wickey, More Weight Part 3, Salem modern relevance, More Weight final review, contemporary witch hunts, Alan Moore influence, Salem today historical horror

Links

Buy the Graphic Novel "More Weight"

Read the Alan Moore World Blog: Ben Wickey An Extraordinary Enchanter

More Weight Preview Page on TopShelfComix.com

Sign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Project

www.massachusettswitchtrials.org

The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

The Thing About Salem continues our exclusive conversation with Ben Wickey in Part 2 of our three-part series about his groundbreaking graphic novel "More Weight: A Salem Story," releasing next week. This installment focuses on the heart of Wickey's narrative: the psychological transformation of Giles Corey.

We explore Corey's devastating journey from testifying against his wife Martha to his defiant final moments uttering "more weight" as stones crushed him to death. Wickey reveals his meticulous research using historical documents and his innovative dual-timeline narrative featuring Nathaniel Hawthorne interludes that bridge past and present.

As a Mary Easty descendant, Wickey discusses the emotional weight of bringing his ancestor's story and Salem's broader tragedy to authentic life. We examine how he balanced historical brutality with responsible storytelling, his striking use of color and its absence, and why maintaining historical accuracy was crucial to honoring the victims' memory.

This is essential listening for anyone interested in Salem Witch Trials history and how graphic novels can illuminate our darkest chapters.

Keywords: Ben Wickey More Weight Part 2, Giles Corey more weight, Salem Witch Trials historical accuracy, Nathaniel Hawthorne Salem, Mary Easty story, Salem history podcast

Buy the Graphic Novel "More Weight"

Read the Alan Moore World Blog: Ben Wickey An Extraordinary Enchanter

More Weight Preview Page on TopShelfComix.com

Sign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Project

www.massachusettswitchtrials.org

The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

The Thing About Salem presents an exclusive three-part series with Massachusetts-born author Ben Wickey, whose highly anticipated debut graphic novel "More Weight: A Salem Story" releases next week. This Alan Moore-praised "appalling masterpiece" tells the harrowing tale of Giles Corey, the only person pressed to death under stones during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.

In Part 1, we dive into Wickey's extraordinary background as an Edward Gorey Award-winning artist whose stunning visual storytelling brings historical horror to visceral life. What makes this upcoming graphic novel release so personal? Wickey is a descendant of Salem Witch Trial victim Mary Easty, bringing deeply intimate perspective to this decade-long project that Publishers Weekly compared to "From Hell."

We explore Wickey's artistic journey, his pre-release excitement, and how his animation background shaped this groundbreaking work. Using the graphic novel format, Wickey cuts through pop culture mythology to restore the genuine horror and humanity of Salem's history. Don't miss this insider look at the creative process behind 2025's most important historical horror graphic novel.

Keywords: Ben Wickey More Weight Part 1, Salem artist interview, graphic novel pre-release, Mary Easty descendant, Edward Gorey Award, Salem Witch Trials artist

Buy the Graphic Novel "More Weight"

Read the Alan Moore World Blog: Ben Wickey An Extraordinary Enchanter

More Weight Preview Page on TopShelfComix.com

Sign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Project

www.massachusettswitchtrials.org

The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

Episode Summary

Not all witch trials were the Salem Witch Trials. To truly understand the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693, we must examine the broader context of witch hunting that swept through colonial America. This episode explores the extensive history of witch trials in British North America that preceded and influenced the Salem events, revealing how witch hunts affected dozens of communities across New England and beyond.

The Context Behind Salem

• Why Salem didn't happen in a bubble

• European influence on colonial witch trials

• How English writings shaped Salem court decisions

• Alice Young of Windsor - First execution, May 26, 1647

• 34 total indictments with 11 executions

• Hartford Witch Panic (1662-1663) - 14 accused, 4 executed

• 8 convictions, 5 executions

• Notable gap in executions from 1656-1688

• Goody Glover trial as Salem's precursor

• Cotton Mather's "Memorable Providences" (1689, 1691)

• First accusation: Joan Wright (1626)

• William Harding conviction (1656)

• Multiple accusations investigated

• Rebecca Fowler execution (1685)

• Goody Cole trials across jurisdictions

• Massachusetts Bay control influence

Salem's Wider ImpactThe 1692-1693 Salem Witch Trials affected numerous communities:

• Andover

• Boston

• Maine and New Hampshire territories

• Connecticut spinoff: Katharine Branch case (1692)

• First witch trial execution in colonial America: Alice Young, 1647

• Total colonial witch trial scope: Over 65 indictments across multiple colonies

• Geographic spread: From Connecticut to Maine, Virginia to Maryland

• Timeline: 45+ years of witch trials before Salem

• Legal precedents: How earlier trials shaped Salem procedures

Check out the hosts' companion podcast: The Thing About Witch Hunts for deeper dives into European witch trial history and modern witchcraft persecution worldwide.

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project

Massachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex Museum

Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

The Thing About Salem Website

⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠
⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

Episode Overview

It wasn't moldy bread, mass hysteria, or girls dabbling in magic. Join hosts Josh and Sarah (whose ancestors lived through these events) as they uncover the real forces that created one of America's darkest chapters.

What You'll Discover

• The Real Causes: Multiple explosive factors that turned Salem into a powder keg

• Political Chaos: How governmental instability set the stage for tragedy

• Community Tensions: The deadly mix of wealth gaps, frontier trauma, and religious conflict

• The Spark: What actually triggered the first accusations in January 1692

✓ Belief systems that made witchcraft accusations believable

✓ Political upheaval following the revocation of Massachusetts' Royal Charter

✓ Controversial judicial decisions like allowing "spectral evidence"

✓ Economic anxieties from King William's War and previous conflicts

✓ European witchcraft beliefs that influenced New England thinking

✓ The snowball effect that made accusations spiral out of control

Why This Episode Matters

Learn the complex, interconnected causes behind one of history's most misunderstood events. Discover how fear-mongering, scapegoating, and abandoning rational thinking can lead entire communities astray—and why these patterns still matter today.

Perfect for history buffs, true crime fans, and anyone who wants to separate Salem facts from fiction in just 15 minutes.

Tags: #SalemWitchTrials #AmericanHistory #TrueCrime #HistoryPodcast #Massachusetts #Colonial #WitchHunts

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project

Massachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex Museum

Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

The Thing About Salem Website

⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

What happens when your only defense against a death sentence is a handwritten letter? In 1692 Salem, petitions became lifelines for the accused, their families, and entire communities caught in the witch trial hysteria.

In this episode, we explore:

• Mary Esty's remarkable final petition that prioritized saving others over herself

• The creative legal strategies colonists used to challenge "spectral evidence"

• How torture was used to extract confessions (and documented in writing)

• The economic reality of having family members imprisoned for witchcraft

• Community petitions that reveal the social chaos engulfing entire towns

• Why some people recanted their confessions—and what that tells us about coercion

From character witness statements to desperate pleas from prison, these historical documents reveal the human cost of mass hysteria and the courage it took to speak truth to power with nothing but ink and parchment.

Plus: The meaningful modern connection—how middle schoolers in 2022 successfully petitioned to clear a victim's name, and why there's still a bill before Massachusetts legislature today.

Perfect for history buffs, true crime fans, and anyone fascinated by how ordinary people navigate extraordinary circumstances.

Keywords: Salem witch trials, historical petitions, spectral evidence, Mary Esty, colonial justice system, Massachusetts history

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project

Massachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex Museum

Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

The Thing About Salem Website

⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

The thing about witch hunts is what happens after can be just as revealing as the hunt itself. After 20 executions and over 150 arrests, Salem had a serious PR problem on its hands. How do you explain away one of colonial America's most notorious legal disasters? Simple: you control who gets to tell the story.

But here's the thing about cover-ups—they rarely go according to plan. Join us as we dive into Salem's messy aftermath, where the real question wasn't who practiced witchcraft, but who was willing to admit they'd been wrong. Because the thing about truth is it has a funny way of surfacing, even when powerful people are trying their hardest to bury it.

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project

Massachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex Museum

Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts
Sign the Petition

What if history's most infamous witch hunt could have been stopped with just a few different decisions? We're examining the pivotal moments between January 1692 and May 1693 when someone—anyone—could have pumped the brakes on Salem's runaway train of accusations.

From the shocking arrest of four-year-old Dorothy Good to Martha Carrier's unfortunate promotion to "Queen of Hell," we'll explore how escalating choices transformed a local crisis into colonial America's most notorious legal disaster. We'll meet the key players who either fanned the flames or tried to douse them—including Cotton Mather's mixed messages and Governor Phips' late-in-the-game reality check.

Join us as we dissect the moments when cooler heads could have prevailed and discover how 45 residents of unlucky Andover got swept up in accusations that would make even the devil blush. Sometimes it takes a village—or several villages—to create a catastrophe.

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project

Massachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex Museum

Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

Josh and Sarah tell the TL;DR version of the story of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93, where 156 people faced formal accusations and over 1,000 became entangled in a legal system that had lost its moral compass. They examine what transformed a small Massachusetts community into the epicenter of mass persecution, from the unprecedented scale of the proceedings to the types of people targeted. This wasn’t just colonial paranoia—it was a perfect storm of social tensions, legal failures, and human frailty that contemporaries recognized as extraordinary even by their own standards. The hosts discuss why Salem continues to captivate us centuries later, serving as both historical cautionary tale and enduring reminder of how quickly justice can derail when fear takes the wheel.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project

Massachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex Museum

Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

The Thing About Salem YouTube

⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts