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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This book offers a comprehensive record of legal documents written in 1692 and 1693 in connection with the Salem witch trials. It is the most comprehensive edition of those records ever published, and includes for the first time the records in chronological order, all newly transcribed from the original manuscripts

Award-winning historian Mary Beth Norton reexamines the Salem witch trials in this startlingly original, meticulously researched, and utterly riveting study. In 1692 the people of Massachusetts were living in fear, and not solely of satanic afflictions. Horrifyingly violent Indian attacks had all but emptied the northern frontier of settlers, and many traumatized refugees—including the main accusers of witches—had fled to communities like Salem. Meanwhile the colony’s leaders, defensive about their own failure to protect the frontier, pondered how God’s people could be suffering at the hands of savages. Struck by the similarities between what the refugees had witnessed and what the witchcraft “victims” described, many were quick to see a vast conspiracy of the Devil (in league with the French and the Indians) threatening New England on all sides. By providing this essential context to the famous events, and by casting her net well beyond the borders of Salem itself, Norton sheds new light on one of the most perplexing and fascinating periods in our history.

Works Progress Administration created in 1935; name changed in 1939 to Work Projects Administration.

The Salem witch trials were the famous trails and prosecutions of people who were accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts from 1692 to May 1693. In total, over 200 people were accused, with 19 being executed for their supposed preternatural crimes. This book contains the second volume of the official records of the trials, copied form the original documents. Contents include: "Sarah Vibber v. John Willard", "Eliz Hubbard v. John Willard", "Eliz Booth v. John Willard", "Lydia Nichols Margaret Knight v. John Willard", "Sam Wilkins v. John Willard", "Thomas Bailed v. John Willard", "Eliz Bailey v. John Willard", "Rebecca Wilkins v. John Willard", etc. This vintage book will appeal to those with an interest in these famous trials, and it would make for a perfect addition to collections of related literature. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new introduction on the folklore and history of witchcraft.