Video Version: https://bit.ly/4o8SkcQ
Why did the horrific 1692 Salem witch trials and subsequent executions happen? Many Americans don’t know that Salem, Massachusetts was founded by numerous people that were part of the original Christian Puritans (aka the “Pilgrims”) that founded the Plymouth, Massachusetts colony. The same folks that celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in 1621 with their indigenous friends/partners. However, many Puritans left Plymouth in 1626, as it did not have a practical harbor, and moved 60 miles south to a place with a GREAT natural harbor that they called Salem. Salem and nearby Boston succeeded enormously as commercial colonies while Plymouth gradually faded from relevance. But in 1692 – in a series of bizarre and inexplicable actions - Salem authorities accused and imprisoned over 20% of their population, executing many and leaving many others to die in jail. How could these very conservative, “reformed” Christians - Biblical New Testament literalists - prosecute this insanely gross level of genocide on members of their very own community? Was the then unknown rye grain fungus ‘ergot’, a key ingredient in modern LSD (i.e. ‘Acid’), a contributing factor in the behavior issues that sparked the hysteria? Anuradha and I will guide you through this rarely told - but very informative story.
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Anuradha can be found at her Instagram accounts: @anuradhaduz_food and @artist_anuradhachhibber.
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