The Salem Witch Trials Podcast

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 Trials. Get the details here.
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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
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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 Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok

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, 1620-1890
He is currently finishing up the drafting of his  new book, Heathens and Other Adversaries against Us: Religion, War, and Racial Identity in Colonial New England.
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 the Salem Witch Trials.
 

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. 
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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.