Furthermore, aside from enjoyment I rate non-fiction books according to how much I have learned. After reading this book, you won't see the phrase 'witch hunt' in quite the same way. There is no conclusive evidence to prove what initially caused the afflicted's fits. He also ends the book on a weak note, comparing fear of witchcraft with fear of terrorism. These people were driven by their love of God and in trying to preserve that they turned upon their own and paid for their mistakes. While I can appreciate the research the author did and can see his attempts and neat organization of facts, the truth remains that the writing is bland and I felt bored. The structure of the book, in my opinion, is the perfect way to approach the hysteria. I learned a great deal about how the frontier fighting of the day (in Maine and New Hampshire) had an impact on forcing refugees from those places into the region of Salem. This one is one of the better one's I have read. It isn't a very long book; only 286 pages of actual reading material. To see what your friends thought of this book, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience. Still, he has enough interesting new information to make this a worthwhile read. It can be a bit dry in parts, sometimes reading like the Bible's lists of genealogies as the author explains the relationships and intermarriages between the primary families of Salem in the late 17th century. I picked this book up prior to a trip to Salem, and let me say it was absolutely the perfect read for that trip. After having finished this book I am able to say that I can see where learning about Salem should be part of any American history course because it is the very history that begot the beginnings of the America that was created by our founding fathers. Scott D. Seay, Emerson W. Baker. We’d love your help. BiblioCore: app08 Version 8.34.1 Last updated 2020/11/02 13:05, Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2015?]. There were problems with the economy. This summary relies on a fresh reading of the primary sources, supported by the most important secondary scholarship. I also gained a greater sense of how the politics of Puritan New England shaped the fears and worry. A Storm of Witchcraft The Salem Trials and the American Experience (Book) : Baker, Emerson W. : Baker & TaylorPresents an historical analysis of the Salem witch trials, examining the factors that may have led to the mass hysteria, including a possible occurrence of ergot poisoning, a frontier war in Maine, and local political rivalries.Oxford University PressBeginning in January 1692, … Beginning in January 1692, Salem Village in colonial Massachusetts witnessed the largest and most lethal outbreak of witchcraft in early America. It isn't a very long book; only 286 pages of actual reading material. There was too many names, too much repeated information.... one got lost quickly in all that. Samuel Parris, whose daughter and niece were the first afflicted girls, survived and simply disappears from the records after the trials. The Witches by Schiff was better, and it's still not ideal. The congregation of Salem's church that he pastored was split for and against him, and his actual tenure there was fairly brief. Believing that they suffered. Terrorism, after all, is real. Baker has taken the time to recreate the areas of Massachusetts that were drastically effected by the accusations brought forward by both accusers and accused so that we can see exactly what the contributing factors were that led up to this tragedy. Thus, his book principally is a much-needed synthetic treatment of one of the most studied episodes in American history. I found the beginning of the book a little confusing, but once I made it past the second chapter it was a lot easier to read. He states that the socioeconomic, religious, and cultural atmosphere in Massachusetts before 1692 lead to a "perfect storm" that created the reasons behind the Salem Witch Trials where 25 innocent people died. You get a more personal glance at the victims and their families and learn about the war being fought against the French and Native Americans on the edges of the Puritans City on the Hill and the various divisions within the Puritan community itself and the raising worry about competing groups like the Quakers. There is a lot of fascinating information here about the context in which the Salem Witch Trials took place, helping us to understand how accusers and judges could act in a way that, to us, seems entirely irrational. some parts of it were juicier and some parts w. very thorough look at the salem witch trials - with close attention to the context at the time - where the accusers/accusees/judges lived, their church status, the town and colony politics, who was related to who, and the short and long term effects of the trials on american history. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I picked this book up prior to a trip to Salem, and let me say it was absolutely the perfect read for that trip. Believing that they suffered from assaults by an invisible spirit, the community began a hunt to track down those responsible for the demonic work. This book was a wonderful addition to the whole complicated era of the Salem witch trials. On one of the side streets of a New England town stands a seven-gabled house with an enormous elm tree before its door. This is a great book to help understand who the key people and political and social conditions were. Beginning in January 1692, Salem Village in colonial Massachusetts witnessed the largest and most lethal outbreak of witchcraft in early America. Summary Beginning in January 1692, Salem Village in colonial Massachusetts witnessed the largest and most lethal outbreak of witchcraft in early America. Several reviews indicated that this was a very complete book about the Salem Witch Trials. Paris is in no way a hero. The portrait painted of these people is not flattering. Best of the Salem Witch Trials (fiction and nonfiction). If you originally registered with a username please use that to sign in. I retained very little information after reading it. The captain agreed and hanged her for witchcraft. ... of the house of Matthew Maule. He calls it a perfect storm of events and unravels each thread of the disaster to portray ultimately a portrait of mistaken notions of excessive exceptionalism. Not necessarily a gripping read for those who are looking for a fast-paced account, but definitely gives the reader a deep understanding of how this unfortunate event occurred and the impacts that are still felt today. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to peel back the curtain on this often misunderstood, yet crucial event in American colonial history. Then there are chapters that deal separately with the accusers, the accused, and the judges before dealing with the legacy of the city and how locals have dealt with the stigma beginning with the surviving relatives through current day dilemmas. Every explanation, every rationale, they all pile up pointlessly and repetitively until the book doesn't amount to much. Don't already have an Oxford Academic account? All the ingredients for a society taken over by extremism certainly existed in spades during late 17th century Massachusetts, says Emerson – themes he explores in his new book, A Storm of Witchcraft. The author does a very good job of sorting through extraordinary amounts of documentation to distill the presentation to those facts that help the reader understand the probable motivations of the persons involved in this important, indeed formative, event in the history of what would become the United States of America. This actually appealed to me as a reader, because there are so many books out there on the witch trials that skim the same surface material - if you're reading yet another book on this, aren't you looking for detail? A scholarly synthesis of the Salem witch trials and the overall New England experience of the time. I retained very little information after reading it. Search for other works by this author on: © 2015 American Historical Association. “The fact is, it was a storm. As the vessel reached the coast, a tremendous tempest nearly caused the ship to sink. Welcome back. Part of Oxford University's Pivotal Moments in History series, very thorough look at the salem witch trials - with close attention to the context at the time - where the accusers/accusees/judges lived, their church status, the town and colony politics, who was related to who, and the short and long term effects of the trials on american history. Trials (Witchcraft) — Massachusetts — Salem. I enjoyed this as this time period has always fascinates me. This book is a solid history book that goes beyond a simple chronicle of events. All rights reserved. This book was a wonderful addition to the whole complicated era of the Salem witch trials. I haven't read as much about the Salem Witch Trials as I would like, which is why I decided to read this. I learned a great deal about how the frontier fighting of the day (in Maine and New Hampshire) had an impact on forcing refugees from those places into the region of Salem. The first three chapters discuss the background of the Puritans, Salem, and New England at the time, and this is helpful in understanding how the trials came to be. The intervening chapters can feel a little weighty with all the facts being presented, but those facts support the conclusions so that the last chapter doesn't just read as opinion. The next three chapters focus on the afflicted, the accused, and the judges. This is a great book to help understand who the key people and political and social conditions were. Register, Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. This article is also available for rental through DeepDyve. I also gained a greater sense of how the politics of Puritan New England shaped the fears and worry. Loaded with facts and really detailed time line of what happened. This is probably the best history of the trials I have seen. It is ambitious in its quest to examine the accusers, accused, and judges through several lenses. some parts of it were juicier and some parts were drier. Recommend. This book takes a kind of skeptical view of the trials, not in the "they weren't witches" obvious way, but in the sense that there's no way to know the motivations for what happened. pretty definitive synthesis of the records and literature on the trials. Some chapters (particularly about the judges) get bogged down in details and genealogy that isn't always the most interesting, but Baker certainly provides evidence to support his arguments. I feel this is a comprehensive examination of original source material. Some chapters (particularly about the judges) get bogged down in details and genealogy that isn't always the most interesting, but Baker certainly provides evidence to support his arguments. Only one chapter details the aftermath in the modern world, and even that is just a few pages. They come across to me as argumentative and self-righteous, bickering over everything from religious doctrine and practices to property lines.
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