Witch-hunting in seventeenth-century New England
Subtitle: a documentary history, 1638-1692
By: edited and with an introduction by David D. Hall.
Contributors: Hall, David D.
Publisher: Northeastern University Press
Published: 1991
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 332
Subjects: Witchcraft -- New England -- History -- 17th century; Persecution -- New England -- History -- 17th century; New England -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; New England -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
Other titles: Witch-hunting in 17th century New England.
Description: This volume documents the history of witchcraft and witch-hunting in seventeenth-century New England. The cases examined begin in 1638, extend to the Salem outbreak in 1692, and document for the first time the extensive Stamford-Fairfield, Connecticut, witch-hunt of 1692-1693. Here one encounters witch-hunts through the eyes of those who participated in them: the accusers, the victims, the judges. The original texts tell in vivid detail a multi-dimensional story that conveys not only the process of witch-hunting but also the complexity of culture and society in early America. The documents capture deep-rooted attitudes and expectations and reveal the tensions, anger, envy, and misfortune that underlay communal life and family relationships within New England's small towns and villages. Primary sources include court depositions as well as excerpts from the diaries and letters of contemporaries.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 317-320) and index.