The Thing About Salem
The Thing About Salem is your resource for in-depth coverage of the Salem Witch Trials, the largest outbreak of witchcraft accusations in American history. Witch trial descendants and experts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack examine a different “thing” about the Salem Witch-Hunt in each new conversational episode, uncovering a topic, person, or place associated with the witch hunt of 1692-1693. 15-minutes a week is all you need to have all your Salem Witch Trials questions answered. Were there any witches in Salem? #witchcraft #truecrime #Tituba #puritans #newengland #popculture #history
Episodes
Today's episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily focuses on the charter which allowed the Colony of Massachusetts Bay to govern itself without too much intervention from the king of England. Why was this charter revoked? What had the colonists down to provoke the king's anger?
The Salem witch trials emerged from impacts of war, environmental catastrophe, economic collapse, and social instability. No one was safe: accusations targeted both the destitute and the wealthy caught in disputes. Economic crisis weaponized witchcraft accusations across all social classes, leaving a legacy of executions, shattered families, and survivors condemned to lifelong poverty.
Salem Witch Trials Daily Course - How It Works | Day-by-Day History Education
Description:
Welcome to our YouTube channel! Discover a revolutionary way to learn about the Salem Witch Trials through our daily video series. This comprehensive course follows the actual 1692-1693 timeline, bringing you history as it happened day by day. In this informational episode, learn how our unique course structure works and see a sample daily less...
Colonial wars contributed to the rise and spread of the Salem Witch Trials. These conflicts added to a siege mentality felt by many colonists. On Salem Witch Trials Daily, we break down how the English Civil War, King Philip’s War, and King William’s War played roles in the witch hunt.
Francis J. Bremer, Puritanism: A Very Short Introduction
Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American ...
For the people of 17th century Massachusetts, the witch and the devil were intertwined through a diabolical covenant or pact. This mimicked the covenant signed by people joining churches and was a common feature in Salem Witch Trials documents. Right from the first question in the first courtroom procedure until the waning moments of the trials and beyond, the devil and this contract were key features of the witch-hunt and subseque...
Over the past 334 years, many myths and misconceptions have been developed to explain the Salem Witch Trials.
In this episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily, we look into these myths and answer questions like, were the people of Massachusetts hysterical? Were the witches of Salem old hags? Were there land grabs?
Francis J. Bremer, Puritanism: A Very Short Introduction: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780195334555
Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack examine religion in 17th century Massachusetts. What religions were practiced in Massachusetts? Was it only Puritanism? In this video, we talk about how Massachusetts refused to tolerate non-puritan faiths until forced by kings to allow people to worship as they pleased, as long as they were Protestant Christians.
Francis J. Bremer, Puritanism: A Very Short Introduction: https://booksho...
Why was Salem Village minister Samuel Parris embroiled in controversy throughout his time there? In today’s episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily, we look into the reasons many people were angry at their pastor. We give his biography leading up to his time in Salem and discuss his tenure up to the start of the witch hunt. Why did he struggle to get villagers to join his church? Why did the villagers decide not to pay him?
Historians view the Salem of 1692 as being comprised of 3 neighborhoods: Salem Town, Salem Farms, and Salem Village. What were these communities, and how did contention for independence contribute to the witch trials? In today’s Salem Witch Trials Daily, we explore the early history of these neighborhoods and name prominent residents and landholders.
Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Exper...
In today's Salem Witch Trials Daily, we discuss the founding of Salem, Massachusetts in 1626 and how the town was reshaped over the years leading up to the witch trials in 1692, as the population of New England surged.
Happy birthday, Salem!
People Accused of Witchcraft in 1692
What Were Witches Actually Accused of Doing in Salem?Signing a mysterious book with blood. Attending midnight gatherings in the minister's pasture. Shape-shifting into wolves. Sending spirits through jail cell walls despite iron shackles. The accusations against Salem's alleged witches painted a picture of organized supernatural conspiracy that went far beyond what most people imagine.
But what did colonists actually believe...
When Rebecca Nurse and Mary Esty wrote petitions from their jail cells in 1692, they couldn't have known their words would inspire descendants 333 years later to continue the fight for justice.
Sarah Jack has now testified twice for her ancestors' exonerations. In 2023, she stood before Connecticut's Joint Committee on Judiciary on behalf of her ancestor Winifred Benham, part of a successful effort to absolve all the acc...
Enjoy this author interview with New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Kent. Kathleen shares how she discovered her descent from Salem Witch Trials victim Martha Carrier and transformed that family history into her acclaimed debut novel, The Heretic's Daughter.
Martha Carrier was executed on August 19, 1692, after refusing to confess to witchcraft. Accused of causing a deadly smallpox epidemic in Andover, Massachusetts, she...
More than 150 people were accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Had the Court of Oyer and Terminer tried them all, they may all have been hanged.
They sat chained in dungeons to prevent their specters from roaming. They watched as friends and neighbors were dragged to the gallows. As the body count rose, the terror must have reached unimaginable levels. And yet the accusations kept coming.
How did an entire community...
When a seventh grader reached out with questions for their National History Day documentary, podcast hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack knew they'd been asked something special. The student's thoughtful inquiries became the foundation for this episode of The Thing About Salem.
This wasn't just another school assignment. The questions this student asked revealed a depth of engagement that many adults never reach when st...
In May 1692, one of Boston's most respected citizens walked into a Salem courtroom—and the accusers couldn't even identify him. Captain John Alden Jr., son of Mayflower passengers and decorated war hero, seemed an unlikely target for witchcraft accusations. But his connections to Native Americans and the French made him dangerous in the eyes of wartime Massachusetts.
What happened when Salem's witch hunt reached beyond t...
Episode Description:
When you think "Massachusetts witch trials," you think Salem, 1692. But what if we told you that 44 years before Salem, Massachusetts was already executing people for witchcraft in Boston?
Between 1648 and 1693, more than 200 people were formally charged with witchcraft across Massachusetts. In 1957, the state cleared 31 Salem victims. But Boston's victims have been forgotten.
On November 25, 2025, B...
In this episode of The Thing About Salem, co-hosts Sarah Jack and Josh Hutchinson examine one of the most invasive and degrading practices used during the Salem Witch Trials: the search for witch's marks and devil's teats. Discover how this invented "evidence" was used to convict innocent people—including the hosts' ancestors.
What You'll Learn:
The Origins of Witch Mark Theory
Episode Description:
How does a town infamous for executing twenty people for alleged diabolical witchcraft rebrand itself as "Witch City"? Salem spent centuries trying to forget 1692, then something changed. Join descendants Sarah and Josh as they uncover the surprising story of how grief, guilt, and capitalism collided to transform Salem into America's Halloween capital. From the first witch-themed business to the co...
What happens when an entire city becomes Halloween for a month?
Salem's Haunted Happenings started with the Salem Witch Museum as one weekend in 1982. Now it's a month-long community event of costumes, crowds, street performers, and pure October magic.
This episode captures the spirit of it all—the performers who show up year after year, the locals that go ALL OUT, the Grand Parade that kicks it off, and the chaotic, joyful ...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!