The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Trials Daily covers the 1691 Massachusetts Bay charter. We discuss changes brought by this new charter and the situation the revocation of the previous charter caused for the court system. We give a timeline of the Court of Oyer and Terminer and address the outcome of this emergency court. Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience : https://b...

Today's episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily focuses on the charter which allowed the Colony of Massachusetts Bay to govern itself without too much intervention from the king of England. Why was this charter revoked? What had the colonists down to provoke the king's anger? Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience : https://bookshop.org/a/90227/97...

The Salem witch trials emerged from impacts of war, environmental catastrophe, economic collapse, and social instability. No one was safe: accusations targeted both the destitute and the wealthy caught in disputes. Economic crisis weaponized witchcraft accusations across all social classes, leaving a legacy of executions, shattered families, and survivors condemned to lifelong poverty. Emerson W....

Salem Witch Trials Daily Course - How It Works | Day-by-Day History Education Description: Welcome to our YouTube channel! Discover a revolutionary way to learn about the Salem Witch Trials through our daily video series. This comprehensive course follows the actual 1692-1693 timeline, bringing you history as it happened day by day. In this informational episode, learn how our unique course struct...

Colonial wars contributed to the rise and spread of the Salem Witch Trials. These conflicts added to a siege mentality felt by many colonists. On Salem Witch Trials Daily , we break down how the English Civil War, King Philip’s War, and King William’s War played roles in the witch hunt. Francis J. Bremer, Puritanism: A Very Short Introduction Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Tria...

For the people of 17th century Massachusetts, the witch and the devil were intertwined through a diabolical covenant or pact. This mimicked the covenant signed by people joining churches and was a common feature in Salem Witch Trials documents. Right from the first question in the first courtroom procedure until the waning moments of the trials and beyond, the devil and this contract were key feat...

Over the past 334 years, many myths and misconceptions have been developed to explain the Salem Witch Trials.  In this episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily, we look into these myths and answer questions like, were the people of Massachusetts hysterical? Were the witches of Salem old hags? Were there land grabs? Francis J. Bremer, Puritanism: A Very Short Introduction : https://bookshop.org/a/90227/...

Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack examine religion in 17th century Massachusetts. What religions were practiced in Massachusetts? Was it only Puritanism? In this video, we talk about how Massachusetts refused to tolerate non-puritan faiths until forced by kings to allow people to worship as they pleased, as long as they were Protestant Christians. Francis J. Bremer, Puritanism: A Very Short Int...

Why was Salem Village minister Samuel Parris embroiled in controversy throughout his time there? In today’s episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily, we look into the reasons many people were angry at their pastor. We give his biography leading up to his time in Salem and discuss his tenure up to the start of the witch hunt. Why did he struggle to get villagers to join his church? Why did the villagers...

Historians view the Salem of 1692 as being comprised of 3 neighborhoods: Salem Town, Salem Farms, and Salem Village. What were these communities, and how did contention for independence contribute to the witch trials? In today’s Salem Witch Trials Daily , we explore the early history of these neighborhoods and name prominent residents and landholders. Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The S...

In today's Salem Witch Trials Daily, we discuss the founding of Salem, Massachusetts in 1626 and how the town was reshaped over the years leading up to the witch trials in 1692, as the population of New England surged. Happy birthday, Salem! The Thing About Salem The Thing About Witch Hunts People Accused of Witchcraft in 1692 HISTORY — The First Church in Salem THE LONG HISTORY — The First Ch...

What Were Witches Actually Accused of Doing in Salem? Signing a mysterious book with blood. Attending midnight gatherings in the minister's pasture. Shape-shifting into wolves. Sending spirits through jail cell walls despite iron shackles. The accusations against Salem's alleged witches painted a picture of organized supernatural conspiracy that went far beyond what most people imagine. Bu...

When Rebecca Nurse and Mary Esty wrote petitions from their jail cells in 1692, they couldn't have known their words would inspire descendants 333 years later to continue the fight for justice. Sarah Jack has now testified twice for her ancestors' exonerations. In 2023, she stood before Connecticut's Joint Committee on Judiciary on behalf of her ancestor Winifred Benham, part of a succ...

Enjoy this author interview with New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Kent. Kathleen shares how she discovered her descent from Salem Witch Trials victim Martha Carrier and transformed that family history into her acclaimed debut novel, The Heretic's Daughter . Martha Carrier was executed on August 19, 1692, after refusing to confess to witchcraft. Accused of causing a deadly smallpox ep...

More than 150 people were accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Had the Court of Oyer and Terminer tried them all, they may all have been hanged. They sat chained in dungeons to prevent their specters from roaming. They watched as friends and neighbors were dragged to the gallows. As the body count rose, the terror must have reached unimaginable levels. And yet the accusations kep...

When a seventh grader reached out with questions for their National History Day documentary, podcast hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack knew they'd been asked something special. The student's thoughtful inquiries became the foundation for this episode of The Thing About Salem. This wasn't just another school assignment. The questions this student asked revealed a depth of engagement that many ad...

In May 1692, one of Boston's most respected citizens walked into a Salem courtroom—and the accusers couldn't even identify him. Captain John Alden Jr., son of Mayflower passengers and decorated war hero, seemed an unlikely target for witchcraft accusations. But his connections to Native Americans and the French made him dangerous in the eyes of wartime Massachusetts. What happened when Salem's wit...

Episode Description: When you think "Massachusetts witch trials," you think Salem, 1692. But what if we told you that 44 years before Salem , Massachusetts was already executing people for witchcraft in Boston? Between 1648 and 1693, more than 200 people were formally charged with witchcraft across Massachusetts. In 1957, the state cleared 31 Salem victims. But Boston's victims have...

In this episode of The Thing About Salem, co-hosts Sarah Jack and Josh Hutchinson examine one of the most invasive and degrading practices used during the Salem Witch Trials: the search for witch's marks and devil's teats. Discover how this invented "evidence" was used to convict innocent people—including the hosts' ancestors. What You'll Learn: The Origins of Witch Mark Theory How English legal w...

Episode Description: How does a town infamous for executing twenty people for alleged diabolical witchcraft rebrand itself as "Witch City"? Salem spent centuries trying to forget 1692, then something changed. Join descendants Sarah and Josh as they uncover the surprising story of how grief, guilt, and capitalism collided to transform Salem into America's Halloween capital. From the f...

What happens when an entire city becomes Halloween for a month? Salem's Haunted Happenings started with the Salem Witch Museum as one weekend in 1982. Now it's a  month-long community event of costumes, crowds, street performers, and pure October magic. This episode captures the spirit of it all—the performers who show up year after year, the locals that go ALL OUT, the Grand Parade that k...

Discover the shocking truth about ghosts in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. This isn’t your typical ghost story. These supernatural encounters were used as courtroom evidence that sent innocent people to the gallows. Join hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack as they explore the different types of apparitions that appeared in Salem testimony, from murdered wives seeking vengeance to protective ange...

What connects a 2014 internet horror tragedy to the fear of 1692 Salem? In this captivating 15-minute clip from our full conversation, Josh and Sarah—along with Ain't it Scary with Sean and Carrie Podcast —draw haunting parallels between the young girls involved in the Slender Man stabbing case and the afflicted girls of the Salem witch trials. How do fear, belief, and community pressure trans...

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...

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 c...