The Salem Witch Trials Podcast

Mary and Candy Emerge from the Shadows

We often think of the population of seventeenth-century New England as homogenous—made up entirely of Anglo-Puritans and the natives who had been living in America for centuries. Yet there were others in New England as well, including a very small, yet significant minority of enslaved Black residents. In this episode, we tell the story of two of them, Mary and Candy, who got caught up in the witch crisis.We are grateful to Jonah Hoffmann and the Salem Witch Museum for this blog post, which proved valuable for producing this episode. 
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Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

Reverend Samuel Parris' Failure to Launch

We explore the enigmatic figure of Reverend Samuel Parris, the man who sat at the spiritual head of Salem Village during the witch crisis. We trace Reverend Parris' journey to Salem, which is set against a backdrop of privilege, adventure, and numerous setbacks.
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Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

A New Charter and a New Court

New governor, William Phips, under the guidance of a new charter for Massachusetts, faces a crisis as the accusations of witchcraft spread and the suspects pile up jails. With no judicial system to handle the chaos, he establishes a new court, led by William Stoughton, and we set the stage for the epic tragedy to come. 
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Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

The Hobbs Family

William and Deliverance Hobbs, and their teenage daughter Abigail, were among the most interesting families involved in the Salem witch crisis. Having lived on the rugged and dangerous Maine frontier for a decade prior to arriving in Salem, the Hobbs family took center stage on April 19, 1692, when Abigail made some explosive claims before the magistrates.
 
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Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

Giles Corey and a Horrifying Spectacle

Giles Corey's torturous death was a particularly dark chapter in a vary dark tale. With the help of our guest, Rachel Christ-Doane, director of education at the Salem Witch Museum, we dive into Corey's horrific story, and explore the escalation of fear during the crisis.
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Join us on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok
Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials