The Vilification of Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather was a third generation minister born into Puritan royalty, a nepo baby long before anyone had ever used the term. But his involvement in the Salem witch trials — and defense of the trial...
3 Juni 202419min
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...
16 Maj 202420min
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 agai...
2 Maj 202421min
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 ha...
15 Apr 202414min
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 ...
1 Apr 202419min
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'...
18 Mars 202423min
The First Execution: Bridget Bishop
While she wasn’t the first to be accused, on June 10, Bridget Bishop became the first person to be executed for witchcraft during the crisis. But her conviction by the new Court of Oyer and Terminer p...
4 Mars 202417min
Rebecca Nurse: A Visible Saint is Toppled
Daniel Gagnon is back to discuss the shocking accusations against and prosecution of Rebecca Nurse. Dan is the author of A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse and a me...
19 Feb 202425min
