What are some good resources to look up some history on the Salem Witch Trials?

by OneHandedMolly

Whether it be websites or books, I'm fine with both! I've always had a fascination with that period, and would love to read up on it!

dhowlett1692

There are a lot of sources on the Salem Witch Trials out there, and a lot are excellent while others fall flat. It does depend on what you are looking for regarding the history of it, so I'll give you a few themes covered with the best works for each.

Primary sources- salem.lib.virginia.edu is a fantastic database. Transcriptions of many court records are online sorted by case file and searchable (although the search function is limited by unstandardized spelling). It also includes digital copies of books documenting the trials by the Mathers and Robert Calef. There are also Essex County court records from previous decades on there. Records of the Salem Witch Hunt edited by Bernard Rosenthal is also an incredible volume. It includes transcriptions of every known court document from the witch trials. Probably not for everyone, but if you are extremely interested, it is fascinating.

Politics- Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum is a great book. The authors did recant parts of their argument, but it is the only source I think provides superb context to the Putnam family and the politics of Salem Village. Satan and Salem: The Witch-Hunt Crisis of 1692 by Benjamin C. Ray is another good source. Ray's work focusing on the geography of accusations in relation to the politics of Salem Village and Salem Town really demonstrate the true motives behind the accusations.

The Maine frontier- In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692 by Mary Beth Norton is by far one of the best works of scholarship out there. Norton ties the importance of the Maine frontier and the Indian wars to witchcraft accusations which provides a much larger context for the trials than just Salem Village. A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience by Emerson W. Baker is one of the more recent and authoritative books on the subject. All of Baker's work is fantastic especially his discussions on the influence of the Maine frontier on the judges of the trials.

General- The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege by Marilynne K. Roach gives a comprehensive review of the events of 1692 by covering every day and event tied to the trials occurred. This is one of the first books to consider reading to grasp how chaotic the situation really was since each day's events included significant advancements in the accusations. Her book Six Women of Salem is also great.