The Salem Witch Trials Podcast

The Salem witch trials ended more than three centuries ago, but the story has never truly stopped. This episode explores how the legacy of this historical crisis has been claimed, reinvented, memorialized, commercialized, and contested across generations.

When the witch crisis of 1692 faded, Salem Village was left to live with what it had done. This episode examines how Reverend Joseph Green guided this damaged community through its long and uncertain aftermath. Joining us is Dan Lipcan , the Ann C. Pingree Director of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum, which has in its collection the diary of Reverend Green.

WE'RE BACK! In the first episode of our second season, we trace the story of Tituba, an enslaved Indigenous woman and the first person accused of witchcraft in 1692. With the help of historian Matt Alschbach, we examine her story within the broader context of seventeenth-century folk medicine, race, and Puritan theology, exploring how fear breeds suspicion, and how suspicion so often settles on th...

Season 2 of The Salem Witch Trials Podcast is coming. We go beyond the timeline of 1692 to explore the deeper forces that shaped the crisis. From war to religion to community tensions to psychology to power, join us as we further uncover the reasons why this tragic event took place, why it mattered then, and why it still matters today. Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel:  The Putnams of Sale...

Experience The Putnams of Salem in a whole new way. Narrated by author Greg Houle and his daughter Addy, the audiobook brings to life the haunting and twisted tale of Thomas and Ann Putnam Jr. who are Greg and Addy's real-life ancestors at the heart of the Salem witch crisis. Get The Putnams of Salem on Audible And stay tuned for Season 2 of The Salem Witch Trials Podcast is coming very soon!

In the last episode of season one, we reflect on what we've learned so far. And look ahead to season two. You can contact host Greg Houle at greg@theputnamsofsalem.com Learn more about host Greg's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials .

Long the subject of whispers and suspicion, Wilmot Redd lived miles from the witch hysteria’s epicenter in Salem Village. Yet, as paranoia spread in the spring of 1692, she got caught in its grip, condemned not by evidence, but by growing fear.

Ann Pudeator was a twice-widowed caregiver whose independence and outsider status made her a target during the Salem witch trials. We explore how this elderly, independent woman stoked societal fears, and reveal how deeply the patriarchy influenced the witch hysteria in 1692. As well as how courageously Ann stood her ground until the end. Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel:  The Putnams of S...

We're joined by Annika Hylmö, the writer and director of The Last Witch, a documentary currently in production that follows a North Andover teacher and her middle school students in their campaign to exonerate Elizabeth Johnson Jr., the last person convicted during the Salem witch trials.  To learn more about The Last Witch and how you can support the film, visit thelastwitchfilm.com

By all accounts, Mary Easty was a pious and well-respected woman. Yet she was swept up in the witch hunt anyway. Her unwavering declarations of innocence, brave defense, and heartfelt fight against further bloodshed left a lasting legacy, even as she  became one of the final victims of the hysteria. Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel:  The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal Duri...

George Jacobs Sr., a fiery-tempered and outspoken man more than 80 years old, finds himself at the center of the witch hunt. His sharp tongue and abrasive personality made him an easy mark in a community gripped by fear. Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials .

Elizabeth Howe seemed just like any other hard-working Puritan in seventeenth-century New England, but her past came back to haunt her once the witch crisis exploded in the spring of 1692. Her tragic story highlights the fear and scapegoating that fueled the witch hysteria.  Learn more about host Greg Houle's new novel:  The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Tr...

An early settler of Salisbury, Massachusetts, Susannah Martin's reputation, as well as a series of accusations made against her earlier in her life, meant that she was destined to become a target of the witch hunt.  Learn more about host Greg Houle's new novel:  The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials .

We discuss how the frontier town of Andover, MA, located a dozen miles west of Salem, gets caught up in the growing witch hysteria in 1692. We're joined by Martha Tubinis, director of programs at the Andover Center for History and Culture, and Toni Armstrong, a PhD candidate in the History of Art and Architecture at Boston University, and a Weekend Research Assistant at the Andover Center for Hist...

We explore the life and legacy of Martha Carrier, the first Andover resident accused of witchcraft in 1692. We’re joined by Carrier’s descendant, Alice Markham-Cantor, author of The Once and Future Witch Hunt: A Descendant’s Reckoning from Salem to the Present.  Learn more about Alice Markham-Cantor and her book at her website . Be sure to check out host Greg Houle's new novel:  The Putnams of Sal...

The way we learn history today is evolving. In this episode, we're joined by Emily Wolff, a history grad student who shares videos about the Salem witch trials on TikTok ( @history_with_Emily ). We discuss the challenges and opportunities of educating audiences on social media, and what it might mean for the future. Be sure to check out host Greg Houle's new novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of...

It’s our one year anniversary and we’re celebrating with a great discussion, recorded before a live audience at the Danvers Historical Society’s Tapley Memorial Hall in downtown Danvers, MA (formerly known as Salem Village) on September 30, 2024. The panelists include: Emerson Baker is a historical archaeologist and professor of history at Salem State University who has done extensive work around...

The Salem witch trials are filled with strange and tragic stories. But few are as strange or as tragic as that of Roger and Mary Toothaker and their family. Join us for a live broadcast: On Monday, September 30 at 3pm we'll be broadcasting live at Tapley Memorial Hall. Sponsored by the Danvers Historical Society, our panelist for this episode include: Emerson Baker, Rachel Christ-Doane, and Daniel...

Host Greg Houle's book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials, is now available. In this short bonus episode, he talks about the novel. Learn more at theputnamsofsalem.com Buy the book: Amazon , Bookshop.org , BN.com

Host Greg Houle explores the role his own ancestors, the Putnam family, played in fueling the witch crisis, investigating the complex motivations behind their actions and reflecting on how this history still resonates with us today. Join host Greg Houle on Friday, August 30 at 7pm EDT for a virtual discussion about his book The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch...

While the majority of people living in Salem in 1692 were completely swept up in the witch hysteria, there were more than a few brave souls who cast a skeptical eye at what was going on. We tell some of their stories.  Preorder Greg Houle's book,  The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials Join the conversation on  Facebook ,  Twitter . and  TikTok

John Willard was both an outsider and a bit of a hustler, looking to earn wealth through land speculation. These qualities didn’t serve him well when the witch hysteria struck Salem in 1692 and John Willard found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.   Preorder Greg Houle's book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials Join the conversation on  Fac...

In many ways, the Salem witch trials have taken on a life of their own over the last three centuries. In this episode, we’re joined by John Howard Smith , professor of history at Texas A&M University - Commerce, who helps us sort through the myths and realities of the witch crisis.  Prof. Smith’s most recent book is A Dream of the Judgment Day: American Millennialism and Apocalypticism, 1620-1...

We explore the myth of religious freedom in early American history, addressing the intolerance of the Puritans  and the challenges faced by other religious groups. And we see how these aspects begin to evolve following the witch crisis.  Join the conversation on  Facebook ,  Twitter . and  TikTok Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book,  The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During...

Cotton Mather was a third generation minister born into Puritan royalty, a nepo baby long before anyone had ever used the term. But his involvement in the Salem witch trials — and defense of the trials afterward — led to his eventual vilification. We’re joined by Professor Rick Kennedy who helps us sort through Mather’s complex role in Puritan New England.  Learn about Rick Kennedy Learn about Ric...