Overview

The first book to explore the tragic personal lives of the leading players in Salem's witchcraft frenzy *** 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?

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9780762759095

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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.

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