Episode Summary

Not all witch trials were the Salem Witch Trials. To truly understand the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693, we must examine the broader context of witch hunting that swept through colonial America. This episode explores the extensive history of witch trials in British North America that preceded and influenced the Salem events, revealing how witch hunts affected dozens of communities across New England and beyond.

The Context Behind Salem

• Why Salem didn't happen in a bubble

• European influence on colonial witch trials

• How English writings shaped Salem court decisions

• The role of European witchcraft tales in accuser testimonies

  
  

  Pre-Salem Witch Trials in New England (1647-1691)Connecticut Witch Trials

• • Alice Young of Windsor - First execution, May 26, 1647

  • 34 total indictments with 11 executions

  • Hartford Witch Panic (1662-1663) - 14 accused, 4 executed

• • Final Connecticut hangings: January 25, 1663

  Massachusetts Witch Trials

• • Margaret Jones of Charlestown - Hanged June 15, 1648

  • 31 indictments between 1648-1691

• • 8 convictions, 5 executions

  • Notable gap in executions from 1656-1688

• The Goodwin Children Case

• • Goody Glover trial as Salem's precursor

  • Cotton Mather's "Memorable Providences" (1689, 1691)

• • How the Goodwin children became the model for Salem's afflicted

  
  

  Witch Trials Beyond New England

  Virginia

• • First accusation: Joan Wright (1626)

  • William Harding conviction (1656)

• • Grace Sherwood, "Witch of Pungo" - water ordeal trial (1706)

  Maryland

• • Multiple accusations investigated

  • Rebecca Fowler execution (1685)

• • John Cowman conviction

  
  

  New Hampshire

• • Goody Cole trials across jurisdictions

  • Massachusetts Bay control influence

  Salem's Wider ImpactThe 1692-1693 Salem Witch Trials affected numerous communities:

  • Andover

  • Boston

  • Maine and New Hampshire territories

  • Connecticut spinoff: Katharine Branch case (1692)

  • First witch trial execution in colonial America: Alice Young, 1647

  • Total colonial witch trial scope: Over 65 indictments across multiple colonies

  • Geographic spread: From Connecticut to Maine, Virginia to Maryland

  • Timeline: 45+ years of witch trials before Salem

  • Legal precedents: How earlier trials shaped Salem procedures

  Check out the hosts' companion podcast: The Thing About Witch Hunts for deeper dives into European witch trial history and modern witchcraft persecution worldwide.

  Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project

  Massachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex Museum

  Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

  The Thing About Salem Website

  ⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube

  ⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon

  ⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠
  ⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website