The Salem Witch Trials Podcast

Latest Episodes:

BONUS: The Putnams of Salem - The Novel Sep 01, 2024

Show notes

Host Greg Houle's book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials, is now available. In this short bonus episode, he talks about the novel.

Learn more at theputnamsofsalem.com
Buy the book: Amazon, Bookshop.org, BN.com

The Putnams Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

Host Greg Houle explores the role his own ancestors, the Putnam family, played in fueling the witch crisis, investigating the complex motivations behind their actions and reflecting on how this history still resonates with us today.

Join host Greg Houle on Friday, August 30 at 7pm EDT for a virtual discussion about his book The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
Get the details here.
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The Dissenters Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

While the majority of people living in Salem in 1692 were completely swept up in the witch hysteria, there were more than a few brave souls who cast a skeptical eye at what was going on. We tell some of their stories.

Preorder Greg Houle's book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok

The Twisted Tale of John Willard Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

John Willard was both an outsider and a bit of a hustler, looking to earn wealth through land speculation. These qualities didn’t serve him well when the witch hysteria struck Salem in 1692 and John Willard found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Preorder Greg Houle's book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok

Myths and Realities Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

In many ways, the Salem witch trials have taken on a life of their own over the last three centuries. In this episode, we’re joined by John Howard Smith, professor of history at Texas A&M University - Commerce, who helps us sort through the myths and realities of the witch crisis.

Prof. Smith’s most recent book is A Dream of the Judgment Day: American Millennialism and Apocalypticism, 1620-1890
He is currently finishing up the drafting of his new book, Heathens and Other Adversaries against Us: Religion, War, and Racial Identity in Colonial New England.
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok
Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.

Beyond the Puritans Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

We explore the myth of religious freedom in early American history, addressing the intolerance of the Puritans and the challenges faced by other religious groups. And we see how these aspects begin to evolve following the witch crisis.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok
Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.

The Vilification of Cotton Mather Jun 03, 2024

Show notes

Cotton Mather was a third generation minister born into Puritan royalty, a nepo baby long before anyone had ever used the term. But his involvement in the Salem witch trials — and defense of the trials afterward — led to his eventual vilification. We’re joined by Professor Rick Kennedy who helps us sort through Mather’s complex role in Puritan New England.

Learn about Rick Kennedy
Learn about Rick Kennedy’s book The First American Evangelical: A Short Life of Cotton Mather
Rick Kennedy’s latest book is Winds of Santa Ana: Pilgrim Stories of the California Bight
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok
Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

Mary and Candy Emerge from the Shadows May 16, 2024

Show notes

We often think of the population of seventeenth-century New England as homogenous—made up entirely of Anglo-Puritans and the natives who had been living in America for centuries. Yet there were others in New England as well, including a very small, yet significant minority of enslaved Black residents. In this episode, we tell the story of two of them, Mary and Candy, who got caught up in the witch crisis.
We are grateful to Jonah Hoffmann and the Salem Witch Museum for this blog post, which proved valuable for producing this episode.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok
Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

Reverend Samuel Parris' Failure to Launch May 02, 2024

Show notes

We explore the enigmatic figure of Reverend Samuel Parris, the man who sat at the spiritual head of Salem Village during the witch crisis. We trace Reverend Parris' journey to Salem, which is set against a backdrop of privilege, adventure, and numerous setbacks.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok
Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

A New Charter and a New Court Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

New governor, William Phips, under the guidance of a new charter for Massachusetts, faces a crisis as the accusations of witchcraft spread and the suspects pile up jails. With no judicial system to handle the chaos, he establishes a new court, led by William Stoughton, and we set the stage for the epic tragedy to come.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok
Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

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