The Salem witch trials

the long version

"The Salem Witch Trials is based on over twenty-five years of original archival research (including the author's discovery of previously unknown documents), as well as on newly found cases and court records. From January 1692 to January 1697, this history unfolds a nearly day-by-day narrative of the crisis as the citizens of New England experienced it, while providing details of the communal, colonial, and international events that influenced the witch scare and trials. This approach illuminates previously hidden connections and offers a revelatory way of viewing events over three centuries old.". "Marilynne K. Roach places seventeenth-century life and belief in vivid context and authenticates every assertion with a reference. The Salem Witch Trials ranges from the first instances of affliction, through the rise and demise of the trials, to the evolving interpretations of historians and the efforts of modern Salem to acknowledge its legacy with dignity amid the vocal, contradictory demands of tourism and neo-Paganism. Illustrated with dozens of photos, drawings, and maps, The Salem Witch Trials is both indispensable and compelling."--BOOK JACKET.