Witch-Hunting in Seventeenth-Century New England: A Documentary History 1638–1693, Second Edition
- ISBN-10
- 0822382202
- ISBN-13
- 9780822382201
- Category
- History
- Pages
- 384
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2005-01-14
- Publisher
- Duke University Press
- Author
- David D. Hall
Description
This superb documentary collection illuminates the history of witchcraft and witch-hunting in seventeenth-century New England. The cases examined begin in 1638, extend to the Salem outbreak in 1692, and document for the first time the extensive Stamford-Fairfield, Connecticut, witch-hunt of 1692–1693. Here one encounters witch-hunts through the eyes of those who participated in them: the accusers, the victims, the judges. The original texts tell in vivid detail a multi-dimensional story that conveys not only the process of witch-hunting but also the complexity of culture and society in early America. The documents capture deep-rooted attitudes and expectations and reveal the tensions, anger, envy, and misfortune that underlay communal life and family relationships within New England’s small towns and villages. Primary sources include court depositions as well as excerpts from the diaries and letters of contemporaries. They cover trials for witchcraft, reports of diabolical possessions, suits of defamation, and reports of preternatural events. Each section is preceded by headnotes that describe the case and its background and refer the reader to important secondary interpretations. In his incisive introduction, David D. Hall addresses a wide range of important issues: witchcraft lore, antagonistic social relationships, the vulnerability of women, religious ideologies, popular and learned understandings of witchcraft and the devil, and the role of the legal system. This volume is an extraordinarily significant resource for the study of gender, village politics, religion, and popular culture in seventeenth-century New England.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 1999
- 388 pages
- Paperback
- Duke University Press
-
- 1991
- 332 pages
- Paperback
- Northeastern University Press
Similar books
-
The Story of the Salem Witch Trials
By Bryan F. Le BeauThis third edition of The Story of the Salem Witch Trials is essential for students and scholars alike who are interested in women’s and gender history, colonial American history, and early modern history.
-
The Story of the Salem Witch Trials
By Bryan F. LeBeau, BRYAN. LE BEAUThis third edition of The Story of the Salem Witch Trials is essential for students and scholars alike who are interested in women's and gender history, colonial American history, and early modern history.
-
Witch-Hunt: The Assignment of Blame
By Clifton WilcoxWitch-Hunt: The Assignment of Blame
-
The Story of the Salem Witch Trials
By Bryan Le BeauOne person was pressed to death, and over 150 others were jailed, where still others died. The Story of the Salem Witch Trials is a history of that event.
-
Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting, and Politics in Early Modern England
By Peter ElmerAylmer, G., Collective Mentalities in Mid Seventeenth-Century England: IV Cross Currents: Neutrals, Trimmers and Others', Transactions of the ... Barry, J., Witchcraft and Demonology in South-West England, 1640–1789 (Basingstoke, 2012).
-
The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England
By Carol F. KarlsenConfessing to "Familiarity with the Devils" Mary Johnson, a servant, was executed by Connecticut officials in 1648.
-
The Story of the Salem Witch Trials: "we Walked in Clouds and Could Not See Our Way"
By Bryan F. LeBeauBetween June 10 and September 22, 1692, nineteen people were hanged for practicing witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. One person was pressed to death, and over 150 others were jailed, where...
-
Witch Accusations in Seventeenth Century New England -U.S
By Richard GodbeerThis document collection explores why people living in the seventeenth century thought it reasonable to believe in witches and to accuse people of using witchcraft against their enemies.
-
Witchfinders: A Seventeenth-Century English Tragedy
By Malcolm GaskillJohnson had stroked her child's face and given him some bread and butter. It took the boy eight days to die. Annabel Durrant's grief had been manifested as a physical pain lasting several months – like childbirth, ...
-
The Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New England
By Cotton MatherThe Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New England