The Thing About Salem

What connects a 2014 internet horror tragedy to the fear of 1692 Salem? In this captivating 15-minute clip from our full conversation, Josh and Sarah—along with Ain't it Scary with Sean and Carrie Podcast —draw haunting parallels between the young girls involved in the Slender Man stabbing case and the afflicted girls of the Salem witch trials.How do fear, belief, and community pressure transform young people into actors in real-world tragedies? From oppressed accusers in colonial Massachusetts to pre-teens acting on digital folklore. A thought-provoking exploration of monsters, morality, and the girls who became part of history's shocking moments.Episode Highlights🔮 Girls Under Pressure - Comparing the afflicted girls of Salem to the Slender Man crime perpetrators ⚖️ Belief Gone Wrong - When fear of something unseen leads to tragedy 🎃 Monster or Victim? - Society's struggle to categorize young people who do terrible things 👻 The Power of Narrative - How stories—whether Puritan theology or internet creepypasta—drive real-world actions 🕯️ Panic Then and Now - What the Salem trials teach us about modern viral panicAbout Our Returning GuestsSean & Carrie host Ain't it Scary with Sean and Carrie, where a skeptic and a believer explore the unknown, unsolved, unbelievable, and just plain weird. With their passion for history and uncovering truth, they bring complementary perspectives to every mystery they tackle.KeywordsSlender Man, Salem witch trials, afflicted girls, creepypasta, true crime, digital folklore, witch hunts, moral panic, paranormal podcast, horror podcast, Ain't it Scary, historical parallels, Salem Massachusetts, youth violence, folkloreListen & SubscribeDon't wander off the path—subscribe to The Thing About Salem and join us every episode as we explore the trials, mysteries, and untold stories of Salem and beyond.Also check out: Ain't it Scary with Sean and Carrie wherever you listen to podcasts!Keep the porch light on. 🎃LinksAin't It Scary With Sean and Carrie PodcastSign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectJoin One of Our ProjectsThe Thing About Salem Podcast

In this episode of 'The Thing About Salem,' hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack explore the various ways the Salem Witch Trials have been depicted in films and TV shows over the decades. They discuss the historical and fictional elements in productions like 'The Crucible,' 'Maid of Salem,' the 'Bewitched' TV series, and 'Hocus Pocus,' highlighting how these portrayals have shaped and transformed Salem's image in popular culture. The episode also covers works such as 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' and 'Three Sovereigns for Sarah,' emphasizing the ongoing cultural fascination with this dark chapter in American history.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Salem in Pop Culture01:04 Maid of Salem and The Crucible02:37 Salem Witch Trials miniseries and Hocus Pocus05:01 Bewitched and Sabrina the Teenage Witch10:07 The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Three Sovereigns for Sarah13:49 Conclusion: The Legacy of Salem in Pop CultureLinksThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch HuntsThe Thing About Salem website

The Thing About Salem concludes our exclusive three-part series with Ben Wickey as we explore the modern implications of his debut graphic novel "More Weight: A Salem Story" in Part 3. With the book out now, we examine why this Salem Witch Trials story resonates powerfully with contemporary readers.Wickey discusses Salem's modern identity and how his work addresses the town's complex relationship with its tragic past. We explore the visual challenges of depicting historical horror, his artistic influences including Alan Moore's impact on his creativity, and why he chose a mature rating for responsible storytelling about historical brutality.What aspects of the 1692 witch trials feel most relevant today? We discuss modern witch hunts, the importance of authentic historical narratives in pop culture, and how Wickey's ancestral connection influenced his approach to Salem's psychological darkness.This final installment reveals why critics are calling this an "appalling masterpiece" and how More Weight will reshape how we understand Salem's legacy for future generations.Keywords: Ben Wickey, More Weight Part 3, Salem modern relevance, More Weight final review, contemporary witch hunts, Alan Moore influence, Salem today historical horrorLinksBuy the Graphic Novel "More Weight"Read the Alan Moore World Blog: Ben Wickey An Extraordinary EnchanterMore Weight Preview Page on TopShelfComix.comSign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Projectwww.massachusettswitchtrials.orgThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

The Thing About Salem continues our exclusive conversation with Ben Wickey in Part 2 of our three-part series about his groundbreaking graphic novel "More Weight: A Salem Story," releasing next week. This installment focuses on the heart of Wickey's narrative: the psychological transformation of Giles Corey.We explore Corey's devastating journey from testifying against his wife Martha to his defiant final moments uttering "more weight" as stones crushed him to death. Wickey reveals his meticulous research using historical documents and his innovative dual-timeline narrative featuring Nathaniel Hawthorne interludes that bridge past and present.As a Mary Easty descendant, Wickey discusses the emotional weight of bringing his ancestor's story and Salem's broader tragedy to authentic life. We examine how he balanced historical brutality with responsible storytelling, his striking use of color and its absence, and why maintaining historical accuracy was crucial to honoring the victims' memory.This is essential listening for anyone interested in Salem Witch Trials history and how graphic novels can illuminate our darkest chapters.Keywords: Ben Wickey More Weight Part 2, Giles Corey more weight, Salem Witch Trials historical accuracy, Nathaniel Hawthorne Salem, Mary Easty story, Salem history podcastBuy the Graphic Novel "More Weight" Read the Alan Moore World Blog: Ben Wickey An Extraordinary Enchanter More Weight Preview Page on TopShelfComix.com Sign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Projectwww.massachusettswitchtrials.orgThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

The Thing About Salem presents an exclusive three-part series with Massachusetts-born author Ben Wickey, whose highly anticipated debut graphic novel "More Weight: A Salem Story" releases next week. This Alan Moore-praised "appalling masterpiece" tells the harrowing tale of Giles Corey, the only person pressed to death under stones during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.In Part 1, we dive into Wickey's extraordinary background as an Edward Gorey Award-winning artist whose stunning visual storytelling brings historical horror to visceral life. What makes this upcoming graphic novel release so personal? Wickey is a descendant of Salem Witch Trial victim Mary Easty, bringing deeply intimate perspective to this decade-long project that Publishers Weekly compared to "From Hell."We explore Wickey's artistic journey, his pre-release excitement, and how his animation background shaped this groundbreaking work. Using the graphic novel format, Wickey cuts through pop culture mythology to restore the genuine horror and humanity of Salem's history. Don't miss this insider look at the creative process behind 2025's most important historical horror graphic novel.Keywords: Ben Wickey More Weight Part 1, Salem artist interview, graphic novel pre-release, Mary Easty descendant, Edward Gorey Award, Salem Witch Trials artistBuy the Graphic Novel "More Weight"Read the Alan Moore World Blog: Ben Wickey An Extraordinary Enchanter More Weight Preview Page on TopShelfComix.com Sign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Projectwww.massachusettswitchtrials.orgThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

Episode SummaryNot 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 SalemWhy Salem didn't happen in a bubbleEuropean influence on colonial witch trialsHow English writings shaped Salem court decisionsThe role of European witchcraft tales in accuser testimoniesPre-Salem Witch Trials in New England (1647-1691)Connecticut Witch TrialsAlice Young of Windsor - First execution, May 26, 164734 total indictments with 11 executionsHartford Witch Panic (1662-1663) - 14 accused, 4 executedFinal Connecticut hangings: January 25, 1663Massachusetts Witch TrialsMargaret Jones of Charlestown - Hanged June 15, 164831 indictments between 1648-16918 convictions, 5 executionsNotable gap in executions from 1656-1688The Goodwin Children CaseGoody Glover trial as Salem's precursorCotton Mather's "Memorable Providences" (1689, 1691)How the Goodwin children became the model for Salem's afflictedWitch Trials Beyond New EnglandVirginiaFirst accusation: Joan Wright (1626)William Harding conviction (1656)Grace Sherwood, "Witch of Pungo" - water ordeal trial (1706)MarylandMultiple accusations investigatedRebecca Fowler execution (1685)John Cowman convictionNew HampshireGoody Cole trials across jurisdictionsMassachusetts Bay control influenceSalem's Wider ImpactThe 1692-1693 Salem Witch Trials affected numerous communities:AndoverBostonMaine and New Hampshire territoriesConnecticut spinoff: Katharine Branch case (1692)First witch trial execution in colonial America: Alice Young, 1647Total colonial witch trial scope: Over 65 indictments across multiple coloniesGeographic spread: From Connecticut to Maine, Virginia to MarylandTimeline: 45+ years of witch trials before SalemLegal precedents: How earlier trials shaped Salem proceduresCheck 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 ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

Episode OverviewIt wasn't moldy bread, mass hysteria, or girls dabbling in magic. Join hosts Josh and Sarah (whose ancestors lived through these events) as they uncover the real forces that created one of America's darkest chapters.What You'll DiscoverThe Real Causes: Multiple explosive factors that turned Salem into a powder kegPolitical Chaos: How governmental instability set the stage for tragedyCommunity Tensions: The deadly mix of wealth gaps, frontier trauma, and religious conflictThe Spark: What actually triggered the first accusations in January 1692Modern Relevance: Why these lessons matter for recognizing witch hunts todayKey Topics Explored✓ Belief systems that made witchcraft accusations believable ✓ Political upheaval following the revocation of Massachusetts' Royal Charter ✓ Controversial judicial decisions like allowing "spectral evidence" ✓ Economic anxieties from King William's War and previous conflicts ✓ European witchcraft beliefs that influenced New England thinking ✓ The snowball effect that made accusations spiral out of controlWhy This Episode MattersLearn the complex, interconnected causes behind one of history's most misunderstood events. Discover how fear-mongering, scapegoating, and abandoning rational thinking can lead entire communities astray—and why these patterns still matter today.Perfect for history buffs, true crime fans, and anyone who wants to separate Salem facts from fiction in just 15 minutes.Tags: #SalemWitchTrials #AmericanHistory #TrueCrime #HistoryPodcast #Massachusetts #Colonial #WitchHuntsSalem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

What happens when your only defense against a death sentence is a handwritten letter? In 1692 Salem, petitions became lifelines for the accused, their families, and entire communities caught in the witch trial hysteria.In this episode, we explore:Mary Esty's remarkable final petition that prioritized saving others over herselfThe creative legal strategies colonists used to challenge "spectral evidence"How torture was used to extract confessions (and documented in writing)The economic reality of having family members imprisoned for witchcraftCommunity petitions that reveal the social chaos engulfing entire townsWhy some people recanted their confessions—and what that tells us about coercionFrom character witness statements to desperate pleas from prison, these historical documents reveal the human cost of mass hysteria and the courage it took to speak truth to power with nothing but ink and parchment.Plus: The meaningful modern connection—how middle schoolers in 2022 successfully petitioned to clear a victim's name, and why there's still a bill before Massachusetts legislature today.Perfect for history buffs, true crime fans, and anyone fascinated by how ordinary people navigate extraordinary circumstances.Keywords: Salem witch trials, historical petitions, spectral evidence, Mary Esty, colonial justice system, Massachusetts historySalem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

The thing about witch hunts is what happens after can be just as revealing as the hunt itself. After 20 executions and over 150 arrests, Salem had a serious PR problem on its hands. How do you explain away one of colonial America's most notorious legal disasters? Simple: you control who gets to tell the story.But here's the thing about cover-ups—they rarely go according to plan. Join us as we dive into Salem's messy aftermath, where the real question wasn't who practiced witchcraft, but who was willing to admit they'd been wrong. Because the thing about truth is it has a funny way of surfacing, even when powerful people are trying their hardest to bury it.Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch HuntsSign the Petition

What if history's most infamous witch hunt could have been stopped with just a few different decisions? We're examining the pivotal moments between January 1692 and May 1693 when someone—anyone—could have pumped the brakes on Salem's runaway train of accusations.From the shocking arrest of four-year-old Dorothy Good to Martha Carrier's unfortunate promotion to "Queen of Hell," we'll explore how escalating choices transformed a local crisis into colonial America's most notorious legal disaster. We'll meet the key players who either fanned the flames or tried to douse them—including Cotton Mather's mixed messages and Governor Phips' late-in-the-game reality check.Join us as we dissect the moments when cooler heads could have prevailed and discover how 45 residents of unlucky Andover got swept up in accusations that would make even the devil blush. Sometimes it takes a village—or several villages—to create a catastrophe.Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

Josh and Sarah tell the TL;DR version of the story of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692-93, where 156 people faced formal accusations and over 1,000 became entangled in a legal system that had lost its moral compass. They examine what transformed a small Massachusetts community into the epicenter of mass persecution, from the unprecedented scale of the proceedings to the types of people targeted. This wasn’t just colonial paranoia—it was a perfect storm of social tensions, legal failures, and human frailty that contemporaries recognized as extraordinary even by their own standards. The hosts discuss why Salem continues to captivate us centuries later, serving as both historical cautionary tale and enduring reminder of how quickly justice can derail when fear takes the wheel.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

Sarah Good's final words to the minister who demanded her confession—"God will give you blood to drink"—would echo through Salem long after her death. In a community where everyday foods like butter, bread, and pudding became evidence of witchcraft, the line between nourishment and damnation blurred beyond recognition. Explore how Salem's fears transformed the most basic human need into suspicions of a pact with the devil, from spoiled butter that doomed a sea voyage to cheese found in an accused witch's pocket.Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

What if we told you that one of Hollywood's most beloved superheroes has a direct connection to Salem's darkest chapter? In this fascinating episode, hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack explore the surprising link between Superman actor Christopher Reeve and a Salem Witch Trials victim who pulled off history's most daring escape.The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as both hosts share their own ancestral connections to the 1692 trials. Through family stories passed down through generations and chance discoveries at historical sites, they reveal how their separate family histories unexpectedly intertwined, leading them to discover they're distant cousins. Their journey from typed genealogy charts in the 1990s to standing in Salem's historic locations brings the past vividly into the present.Dr. Emerson Baker's research suggests there may be over 100 million descendants of people involved in the Salem Witch Trials today. The hosts explore what this means for understanding our shared history and how these connections continue to influence advocacy work around the world. They discuss the broader network of witch trials beyond Salem, including cases in Boston, Connecticut, and Europe, inviting listeners to explore their own potential connections.The episode highlights several remarkable historical figures, including a minister whose extended family bore an extraordinary burden during the trials, and ancestors who transformed from accusers to defenders as events unfolded. These stories illuminate the complex social dynamics and personal courage that defined this turbulent period in American history.Looking beyond historical connections, the hosts draw parallels between Salem's lessons and contemporary issues. They emphasize that the traits demonstrated by their ancestors—perseverance, the courage to speak up, and the willingness to question authority—are fundamentally human qualities that transcend bloodlines.The episode concludes with information about the upcoming World Day Against Witch Hunts, a free online event on August 10th featuring international experts discussing modern witchcraft accusations and support for survivors in Ghana's outcast camps. Listeners can register at endwitchhunts.org/day.Connect with the show on Patreon at patreon.com/aboutsalem to share your own family stories and join the ongoing conversation about Salem's enduring legacy.Christopher Reeve proved that heroism isn’t about superpowers—it’s about perseverance. That’s the gift every Salem descendant carries, but you don’t have to share their bloodline to share their lesson. Salem teaches us about the price of silence, the power of standing up, the importance of questioning authority. Those aren’t genetic traits—they’re human ones.Towne Family AssociationTowne Cousins Facebook GroupListen to the Podcast Episode: Finding Your Salem Witch Trial Ancestors with David Allen LambertSalem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

Move along folks, the Salem Witch Trials were the product of hysteria, and that's all you need to know. . . or NOTWe kick off with a midnight ride that would make Paul Revere jealous—except instead of warning about the British, townspeople were frantically summoning help for a girl supposedly being tortured by a witch's specter. But before you roll your eyes and mutter "mass hysteria," consider this: What if the Salem Witch Trials weren't the product of unhinged women with wandering uteruses (yes, that's a real historical medical theory), but rather ordinary people responding to extraordinary fear in disturbingly familiar ways?Join us as we trace witch panics from Springfield to Hartford, uncovering a pattern that's less "crazy town" and more "calculated legal proceedings." We'll explore why dismissing these events as hysteria might be the most dangerous mistake we can make—especially when the same human behaviors that fueled 17th-century witch hunts are alive and well in. Spoiler alert: We're not as evolved as we think we are.Fair warning: Contains references to wandering uteruses, midnight rides, and uncomfortable parallels to contemporary society.Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

We look at the reported use of oomancy—egg divination—allegedly preceding the Salem Witch Trials. The discussion centers around a haunting account from Reverend John Hale about an afflicted girl who used an egg and glass to divine her future, only to see a coffin appear in the reflection. This ominous vision allegedly led to her eventual death, serving as what Hale callously called "a just warning" about dabbling with divination.The hosts explore the ancient origins of divination practices, tracing them back thousands of years to early civilizations. The episode examines various divination methods documented in Salem records, including the sieve and scissors technique, key and Bible, and other techniques for fortune telling. Several fascinating Salem cases come to light, including Samuel Wardwell's admitted fortune telling abilities and Dorcas Hoar's reputation as a local fortune teller who specialized in predicting the deaths of men. The hosts share intriguing testimonies from neighbors who witnessed these practices firsthand, revealing how common divination was in 17th-century New England communities.Throughout the episode, the hosts address common myths about Salem, including the popular but inaccurate image of girls gathering in circles for magic sessions. They also explore the mystery of which afflicted girl Hale was referring to in his account, as her identity remains unknown to this day.Join Josh and Sarah as they uncover the surprisingly relatable human desire to glimpse the future, one cracked egg at a time. Connect with them on Patreon at patreon.com/aboutsalem to continue the conversation about Salem's divination practices and their modern echoes.Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

You've heard the theory: ergot-poisoned rye bread caused hallucinations that sparked the Salem witch trials. It sounds so logical, so scientific, so... wrong.When the afflicted girl Elizabeth Hubbard accused alleged witch Sarah Good of witchcraft through spectral torture - pinching, pricking, and demanding she sign the devil's book - was she describing a fungal poisoning? Or something far more complex?Join Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack as they finally address one of the most popular silver bullet "explanations" for the Salem Witch Trials. They'll show you why this tidy medical explanation crumbles: convulsive ergotism is actually a syndrome with a constellation of symptoms and variables. This episode will sharpen your critical thinking. The ergot theory's problems show us how easily we can be drawn to explanations that sound scientific but don't actually fit the evidence and why we need to dig deeper than the theories that simply make us feel better about difficult history.⁠Linnda R. Caporael, “Ergotism: The Satan Loosed in Salem?”Nicholas P. Spanos and Jack Gottlieb Rebuttal, “Ergotism and the Salem Village Witch Trials”Mary K. Matossian, "Views: Ergot and the Salem Witchcraft Affair "⁠Nicholas P. Spanos, “Ergotism and the Salem Witch Panic”Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-Hunt:The Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

In Salem, people were hanged based on crimes no one else could see.In Salem, accusers claimed to see the ghostly “shapes” of their neighbors tormenting them from miles away. These spectral attacks left real bruises, real terror, and real questions: Could the Devil impersonate innocent people? Why did Connecticut reject this evidence decades earlier while Salem embraced it with deadly consequences?From midnight visitations to courtroom chaos, discover how testimony about invisible crimes became the most dangerous evidence in American legal history.The shadows cast by Salem’s trials reach far beyond 1692—and the question of what we’re willing to believe based on what we cannot see remains as relevant as ever.Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex Museum“The Return of Several Ministers”Letter from Cotton Mather to John FosterRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

What happens when a few cryptic accusations transform into elaborate tales of midnight gatherings with the Devil himself? In Salem, the introduction of witches' sabbath stories didn't just add fuel to the fire—it created an inferno that would consume an entire community. These stories reveal how panic spreads and conspiracies grow, transforming neighbors into enemies and turning familiar landscapes into theaters of supernatural warfare.Episode Highlights:European Origins of Sabbath Stories •  In the western Alps in the 1430s, stories spread after religious conferences • Originally called the "Synagogue of Satan," not sabbath or sabbat • 1669 Swedish trials in Elfdale Province featured children confessing to journeys to Blockula • Accused described calling "Antecessor come and carry us to Blockula" three times at crossroads • The Devil appeared in a gray coat, red and blue stockings, and distinctive high-crowned hat with red beardSalem's Transformation • European sabbath tales were fresh in colonial minds when Salem's hunt began •Stories evolved from simple accusations into vast conspiracy narrativesImpact on the Witch Hunt • Each confession built upon previous stories, creating coherent mythology • Details seemed to confirm worst fears about supernatural conspiracy • Stories recorded as evidence and treated as truth by authorities • Transformed the scope from individual accusations to community-wide threatRelated Content: Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes and behind-the-scenes contentBuy the book: Origins of the Witches Sabbath by Michael D. BaileySalem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project⁠The Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

Arthur Miller's timeless play, The Crucible, transformed the Salem witch trials into America's most powerful allegory for McCarthyism. When The Crucible premiered in 1953, Miller—who would later marry Marilyn Monroe—created a dramatized version of Salem that exposed the dangerous parallels between witch hunts and communist hysteria.Hosts Josh and Sarah explore Miller's deliberate historical changes and why he chose fiction over fact to reveal deeper truths about accusation, confession, and moral courage under pressure.The episode breaks down how Miller's allegory connected Salem's witch trials to 1950s Red Scare tactics, showing why both historical moments reveal the same pattern. Whether fearing witchcraft or communism, communities turn on perceived traitors through panic and make false accusations.Explore The Crucible's lasting cultural impact from high school literature classes to multiple film adaptations. Whether you're studying the play for school, preparing for a performance, or simply curious about its enduring relevance, this episode explains why Miller's work remains essential reading in our current age of political polarization.Perfect for students, theater enthusiasts, and anyone seeking to understand how The Crucible connects Salem's 1692 tragedy to timeless themes of integrity, community panic, and moral choice that still resonate today.Buy the book: The Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America by Clay RisenBuy the Play: The Crucible by Arthur Miller⁠The Thing About Salem Website⁠⁠The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts Website

Explore one of the more bizarre forms of evidence used to convict witches in colonial America. When the Salem Witch Trials judges accepted poppets as deadly proof of witchcraft, they turned dolls and rags into evidence that cost innocent people like Bridget Bishop their lives. The judges admitted all kinds of evidence that wouldn't survive five minutes in a modern courtroom, including poppets—dolls crafted with malicious intent—that were allegedly used to afflict targets from afar.The hosts reveal how law enforcement searched accused witches' homes for "pictures of clay or wax," turning up everything from rag dolls stuffed with goat hair to knotted handkerchiefs filled with cheese and grass. In the most shocking cases, judges conducted live magical experiments in their own courtrooms while watching the “afflicted” witnesses writhe in apparent agony, then using these theatrical displays as evidence to send people to the gallows.Listeners discover the tragic stories behind Salem's most infamous poppet cases, like those involving Bridget Bishop, Candy, and Abigail Hobbs, who claimed the devil personally delivered poppets to her. The episode also explores pre-Salem cases like Goody Glover.This is another chapter in understanding how Salem became America's most infamous example of justice gone terribly wrong.The Thing About Salem WebsiteThe Thing About Salem YouTubeThe Thing About Salem PatreonThe Thing About Witch Hunts YouTubeThe Thing About Witch Hunts Website