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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Alternative belief systems > Occult studies > Witchcraft
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Escaping Salem (Paperback, New)
Loot Price: R849
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Escaping Salem (Paperback, New)
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The Salem witch hunt of 1692 is among the most infamous events in
early American history; however, it was not the only such episode
to occur in New England that year. Escaping Salem reconstructs the
"other witch hunt" of 1692 that took place in Stamford,
Connecticut. Concise and accessible, the book takes students on a
revealing journey into the mental world of early America,
shattering the stereotype of early New Englanders as quick to
accuse and condemn.
Drawing on eyewitness testimony, Richard Godbeer tells the story
of Kate Branch, a seventeen-year-old afflicted by strange visions
and given to blood-chilling wails of pain and fright. Branch
accused several women of bewitching her, two of whom were put on
trial for witchcraft. Escaping Salem takes us inside the
Connecticut courtroom and into the minds of the surprisingly
skeptical Stamford townspeople. Were the pain and screaming due to
natural or supernatural causes? Was Branch simply faking the
symptoms? And if she was indeed bewitched, why believe her specific
accusations, since her information came from demons who might well
be lying? For the judges, Godbeer shows, the trial was a legal
thicket. All agreed that witches posed a real and serious threat,
but proving witchcraft (an invisible crime) in court was another
matter. The court in Salem had become mired in controversy over its
use of dubious evidence. In an intriguing chapter, Godbeer examines
Magistrate Jonathan Selleck's notes on how to determine the guilt
of someone accused of witchcraft, providing an illuminating look at
what constituted proof of witchcraft at the time. The stakes were
high--if found guilty, the two accused women would be hanged.
In the afterword, Godbeer explains how he used the trial evidence
to build his narrative, offering an inside perspective on the
historian's craft. Featuring maps, photos, and a selected
bibliography, Escaping Salem is ideal for use in undergraduate U.S.
survey courses. It can also be used for courses in colonial
American history, culture, and religion; witchcraft in the early
modern world; and crime and society in early America.
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