We examine the critical role of geography in the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. They discuss the stark contrasts between Salem Town and Salem Village, the widespread nature of the accusations, and the influence of the broader region, including the impact of the Frontier War in Maine and the significant number of accusations in Andover. They also debunk common misconceptions about the accusers' proximity and detail the physical realities of property disputes and the execution sites, emphasizing the trials' concrete historical context.
00:00 Introduction to Cotton Mather and the Salem Witch Trials
00:38 Geographical Context of Salem
00:56 Salem Town vs. Salem Village
01:51 Misconceptions About the Afflicted Girls
02:55 The Spread of Accusations
03:10 Impact of the Frontier War
03:38 Andover's Role in the Witch-Hunt
04:14 Land Disputes and Accusations
05:05 Geography of the Executions
05:48 Conclusion: Understanding the Map of 1692
Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt
The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel
Salem Witch Trials Daily Course Week 5: The Framework of Death
Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience
Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege
Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692
