Salem witchcraft trials scrapbook at the Superior Court in Salem, Massachusetts, 1973 (AP photo)

by Margo Burns, associate editor, Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt On January 11, 2023, the Peabody Essex Museum turned over 527 original documents from the 1692 Salem witchcraft trials to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Archives in Boston. Owned by the …

Documenting the past, preserving its future: Salem witchcraft papers Read more »

Timeline of Elizabeth Johnson Jr.’s conviction to exoneration for the Salem witch trials of 1692.

As the first man accused of witchcraft at the 1692 Salem trials, John Proctor’s position was unique. Born in England in 1631, his family had lived in the Bay Colony since 1635. Proctor was a well-known yeoman farmer, with property …

Unwavering faith: The testament of John Proctor Read more »

A Q&A with Margo Burns, associate editor and project manager of Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt and expert featured on the Who Do You Think You Are? TV series. WitchesMassBay: What is the premise behind the idea that ergot caused the …

Why not ergot and the Salem witch trials? Read more »

When the witch hunt started in Salem Village in February 1692, the Massachusetts colonists were waiting for Rev. Increase Mather to return home from England with a new governor, Sir William Phips, and joint monarchs William & Mary’s new charter. …

The Salem witch trials and the Body of Liberties laws Read more »

The year 2017 marked the 325th anniversary of the Salem witch trials in which 19 people were found guilty of witchcraft and were hanged between June and September 1692.  Lessons and legacies of 1692 symposium On June 10, the anniversary …

Salem witch trials’ 325th anniversary year in review Read more »