The Salem Witch Trials Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Believing in Witches Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

What did it mean to be a witch in 1692?
In this episode, we explore how the Puritans understood witches, satan, and the supernatural. And we address why those beliefs were so central to the tragedy.

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Join host Greg Houle in Owensboro, Kentucky!

He'll be at Owensboro Community and Technical College for two special events:

October 19, 6:30 p.m. CT: Talking about his family's connection to the Salem witch trials.
October 20, 12:30 p.m. CT: A panel discussion with OCTC students.

Both events are free, open to the public. If you can't be there, join the livestream: https://www.facebook.com/OwensboroCTC

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Learn more about Greg Houle's book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

Ordinary Lives Aug 27, 2026

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What was everyday life like in Salem in 1692?
In this episode, we look beyond the witch crisis to explore the work, routines, and relationships that shaped the people at the center of the storm.

Who Owns Salem? Jun 19, 2026

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The Salem witch trials ended more than three centuries ago, but the story has never truly stopped. This episode explores how the legacy of this historical crisis has been claimed, reinvented, memorialized, commercialized, and contested across generations.

The Man Who Put Salem Back Together May 05, 2026

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When the witch crisis of 1692 faded, Salem Village was left to live with what it had done. This episode examines how Reverend Joseph Green guided this damaged community through its long and uncertain aftermath.
Joining us is Dan Lipcan, the Ann C. Pingree Director of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum, which has in its collection the diary of Reverend Green.

Tituba and the Fear That Made a Witch Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

WE'RE BACK!
In the first episode of our second season, we trace the story of Tituba, an enslaved Indigenous woman and the first person accused of witchcraft in 1692. With the help of historian Matt Alschbach, we examine her story within the broader context of seventeenth-century folk medicine, race, and Puritan theology, exploring how fear breeds suspicion, and how suspicion so often settles on the margins.

If you’re interested in joining host Greg Houle for his live online course, The Salem Witch Trials: Fear, Myth & Meaning, you can register here.

You can also explore Greg Houle’s historical novel, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.

Welcome Back to Salem: Season 2 Preview Nov 26, 2025

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Season 2 of The Salem Witch Trials Podcast is coming. We go beyond the timeline of 1692 to explore the deeper forces that shaped the crisis. From war to religion to community tensions to psychology to power, join us as we further uncover the reasons why this tragic event took place, why it mattered then, and why it still matters today.

Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.

BONUS: The Putnams of Salem: The Audiobook Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

Experience The Putnams of Salem in a whole new way. Narrated by author Greg Houle and his daughter Addy, the audiobook brings to life the haunting and twisted tale of Thomas and Ann Putnam Jr. who are Greg and Addy's real-life ancestors at the heart of the Salem witch crisis.

Get The Putnams of Salem on Audible

And stay tuned for Season 2 of The Salem Witch Trials Podcast is coming very soon!

A Reflection on Our First Season Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

In the last episode of season one, we reflect on what we've learned so far. And look ahead to season two.

You can contact host Greg Houle at greg@theputnamsofsalem.com
Learn more about host Greg's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.

Suspicion and Fear Consume Wilmot Redd Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Long the subject of whispers and suspicion, Wilmot Redd lived miles from the witch hysteria’s epicenter in Salem Village. Yet, as paranoia spread in the spring of 1692, she got caught in its grip, condemned not by evidence, but by growing fear.

The Patriarchy Takes Down Ann Pudeator Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

Ann Pudeator was a twice-widowed caregiver whose independence and outsider status made her a target during the Salem witch trials. We explore how this elderly, independent woman stoked societal fears, and reveal how deeply the patriarchy influenced the witch hysteria in 1692. As well as how courageously Ann stood her ground until the end.