The Salem Witch Trials Podcast

The Salem Witch Trials Podcast takes a fast-paced and episodic examination of the witch hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The brief yet insightful episodes harness the knowledge of experts to help illuminate both the chronology of events as well the deeper context surrounding the witch crisis, giving listeners a better understanding of this fascinating and tragic event in early American history.

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Episodes

Exploring Witchcraft

What exactly is witchcraft and magic and what did it mean to New Englanders in the late seventeenth century? We’re joined by historian Alyssa Conary who helps us understand these important questions.

Dec 18, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 6

March 1692

During the turbulent month of March 1692, accusations of witchcraft from a handful of girls turns into a full-blown crisis. In this episode, we unravel the events of this pivotal month to reveal the critical role that it played in turning the Salem witch hunt into an unprecedented disaster.

Dec 04, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Exploring the Evidence Used at Salem

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘witch hunt?’ While the phrase has decidedly become loaded over the years, it often conjures up visions of angry mobs with torches and pitchforks. The Salem Witch Trials were most certainly a witch hunt, and decidedly unjust, but it’s important to remember that they were also actual trials with judgements that were handed down based on testimony, evidence and other time-tested methods of adjudication. So, how could the system of failed so badly? To hel...

Nov 15, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 4

The Unlikely Role of New England’s Frontier in Salem

As English settlers began moving into the northern frontier of New England in the mid-17th century, clashes with the native population there often had brutal results. Years later, a surprising number of those who lived though this tumultuous period in the region known as the ‘Eastward Frontier’ played central roles in the Salem witch hysteria. We’re joined by Professor Mary Beth Norton , whose groundbreaking work on this startling connection helped to change how we think about the Salem Witch Tr...

Nov 03, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 3

The Afflictions Begin and Accusations Fly

When two young girls in the household of Salem Reverend Samuel Parris begin to experience strange behaviors, three women find themselves accused of witchcraft. Historian Kathleen Brown , the David Boies Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, helps us understand the beginnings of the witch hunt during the first few months of 1692. Learn more about Professor Brown's book, Undoing Slavery: Bodies, Race, and Rights in the Age of Abolition...

Oct 16, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 2

In the Beginning: Who were the Puritans?

In our first episode, Greg is joined by Daniel Gagnon , a historian and author of A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse (Westholme), who explains the context that led to the witch hysteria in Salem in 1692. He discusses the Puritans who settled Salem, their beliefs, as well as their relationship with the native populations. Learn more Daniel Gagnon’s book: A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse Daniel Gagnon is on the Board of Direct...

Oct 01, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Introducing The Salem Witch Trials Podcast

Most of us have heard about the Salem Witch Trials, but what do we know about what really happened in and around Salem, Massachusetts in 1692? The Salem Witch Trials Podcast, hosted by Greg Houle, goes beyond the myth and gets to the heart of the action. Beginning in October 2023, we will release episodes that include interviews with experts who will shed light onto the people and events of that horrifying year, as well as provide valuable context that help us understand how and why this tragedy...

Sep 20, 2023•2 min

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