Death in Salem: The Private Lives Behind the 1692 Witch Hunt

Salem witchcraft will always have a magnetic pull on the American psyche. During the 1692 witch trials, more than 150 people were arrested. An estimated 25 million Americans--including author Diane Foulds--are descended from the twenty individuals executed. What happened to our ancestors? Death in Salem is the first book to take a clear-eyed look at this complex time, by examining the lives of the witch trial participants from a personal perspective.

Massachusetts settlers led difficult lives; every player in the Salem drama endured hardships barely imaginable today. Mercy Short, one of the "bewitched" girls, watched as Indians butchered her parents; Puritan minister Cotton Mather outlived all but three of his fifteen children. Such tragedies shaped behavior and, as Foulds argues, ultimately played a part in the witch hunt's outcome. A compelling "who's who" to Salem witchcraft, Death in Salem profiles each of these historical personalities as it asks: Why was this person targeted?

Author: Diane Foulds
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Globe Pequot Press
Published: 08/06/2013
Pages: 288
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9780762784974