Episode 15: A Crisis in Salem

Puritan scholar Perry Miller called what occurred in Salem in 1692 a non-event which had “no effect on the ecclesiastical or political situation, [and] does not figure in the institutional development.” The causes of this event are far more important to us now than the effects. However, it has had an effect in our understanding of human psychology. There was no single thinker that revolutionized our understanding of the mind, but we can put ourselves in the shoes of these paranoid people who were beyond terrified that the Devil was loose in their town.

It displays the dangers when accepting a child’s word, defending family, and social hierarchies are pushed to their extremes. Furthermore, it reinforced the necessity of presumed innocence and physical evidence. There’s a reason “witch-hunt” is still so common in our lexicon. These events were shameful for those involved, so much so that the governor tried to ban any publication of the events. Scant few recanted their claims or apologized for their conduct that led to the accusation of over 200 people and the death of over 20. And all of this may have started by girls seeking a little attention.

There’s much to explore in this story. So let’s unwind this complex, albeit small, knot, and fill in those missing pages…

Music

Intro: Fractured Timeline - Sémø

Outro: Dancing in the Fire - Frank Schlimbach

Sources

A Storm of Witchcraft - Emerson W. Baker

Six Women of Salem - Marilynne K. Roach

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