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Death in Salem: The Private Lives Behind The 1692 Witch Hunt, First Edition
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About Death In Salem: The Private Lives Behind The 1692
Product Description 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? From the Back Cover Exploring the tragic personal side of Salem’s witchcraft frenzy The 1692 Salem witch trials will always have a magnetic pull on the American psyche. The accusations against more than 150 people that year, and the execution of twenty, have come to epitomize mass hysteria, and the episode has become a prism through which we have sought to understand modern-day “witch hunts.” It is a moment in history all of us know—or do we? An estimated twenty-five million Americans—including author Diane E. Foulds—are descended from those executed. What really happened to our ancestors? Death in Salem takes a uniquely clear-eyed look at this complex time, by examining the grueling and often tragic personal lives of the leading players—from the “bewitched” girls to the innocents they charged, the pastors who encouraged them, and the magistrates who believed them. . . About the Author Diane E. Foulds, a tenth-generation descendent one of those hanged in Salem in 1692, is the author of three books, including Curious New England and Vermont: An Explorer's Guide. Her articles have appeared in the Boston Globe, Washington Post, and Yankee magazine. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. From chapter 1, “The Accusers” With so much resting on intangibles, it’s little wonder that the young women of Salem Village indulged in occasional fortune-telling. . . . So what a relief it must have been in 1692, when a physician cleared them of guilt by proclaiming them the victims of sorcery. . . . Girls who had been bored and neglected now found themselves pitied and awed, even deferred to, until the game got out of hand. Before they knew it, distracted children were sending innocents to their deaths. . . . What had started with a few tremulous girls evolved into a cathartic exorcism engaging every segment of the community. As the following profiles reveal, the pent-up hostilities that fueled it went far deeper than anyone might have guessed.
