The Salem Witch Crisis

(Hardback)

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"The Salem Witch Crisis" offers a narrative of events surrounding the Massachusetts witch trials of 1692. Studies of early American witchcraft in the past two decades have been specialized ones. They demonstrated the possibility that economic conflict, gender and generational hostility, religious divisions, fears of witch cults and challenges to the legal system sometimes were involved in witchcraft accusations. Collectively, these numerous scholarly monographs and journal articles have both broadened and deepened our understanding of the role of witchcraft beliefs in early America. Unfortunately, there is no single volume that draws upon this impressive body of research and incorporates it into an account of what happened at Salem. Second, the scholarship of the past 20 years has not usually been directed to the general reader; most authors either assume readers are familiar with the events of 1692 or obscure their efforts by reporting to the occasionally impenetrable vocabulary of the social sciences. Gragg aims to provide a synthesis of modern scholarship on the Salem witch trials in a style accesssible to the general reader. The inclination of recent scholars has been to portray the people of 17th century Massachusetts as helpless victims of powerful economic, social, and psychological forces. Many recent accounts depict individuals as being unable to have an impact on events, because of entrenched sexual hostility, chronic generational conflicts, or the clash of capitalist and peasant cultures. Gragg asserts a more traditional interpretation. Rather than seeing the people of Salem Village and the surrounding communities as being swept along by the forces of historical change, he makes a very strong case that the people involved (whether they were clergymen, judges, accusers, or the accused) were active participants, who made decisions that shaped the outcome of events in 1692.

Reviews

. . . presents a readable synthesis of modern scholarship on the Salem witch trials in which he attempts to "show that the best way to appreciate the unique experience of Salem Village is to explore the particular decisions made by the individuals involved and their consequences.-American History Illustrated
In recent decades, many historians have done research that extends detailed knowledge and broad understanding of the Salem witch crisis of the late 17th century. Gragg (Univ. of Missouri-Rolla) has drawn on it, as well as participating in it, to produce here a narrative account for the general reader. He successfully conveys an impression of the religious domination of thought that made possible a wide acceptance of the reality of fantasies and of mischievous fiction, upon which the persecution and killing of ordinary citizens depended. Of particular interest is Gragg's account of the varied reactions of people who had been active in the persecutions, after belief in the innocence of the victims had become general. Though modern zealotry lacks, in most countries, the 17th-century background of universally shared beliefs, the dynamics underlying its threat to stable social life retains enough similarity to make knowledge of this episode a valuable component of preparation for modern citizenship. General; undergraduate through faculty.-Choice
This book does almost exactly what Larry Gragg promises it will do and does it well. He offers the general reader a coherent, readable, straightforward narrative of the Salem witchcraft episode. He tells the #2ogood story#2c he sets out to tell--it would be hard to turn this material into a dull story--and weaves in background and contextual material effectively.-The Historian
This book provides a fascinating and informative account of the everyday life of those inhabitants of seventeenth century New England whose very human weaknesses were clearly exposed in the tragedy of the Salem witch hunt.-Bulletin of Library of Bangor Theological Seminar
." . . presents a readable synthesis of modern scholarship on the Salem witch trials in which he attempts to "show that the best way to appreciate the unique experience of Salem Village is to explore the particular decisions made by the individuals involved and their consequences."-American History Illustrated
"This book does almost exactly what Larry Gragg promises it will do and does it well. He offers the general reader a coherent, readable, straightforward narrative of the Salem witchcraft episode. He tells the #2ogood story#2c he sets out to tell--it would be hard to turn this material into a dull story--and weaves in background and contextual material effectively."-The Historian
"This book provides a fascinating and informative account of the everyday life of those inhabitants of seventeenth century New England whose very human weaknesses were clearly exposed in the tragedy of the Salem witch hunt."-Bulletin of Library of Bangor Theological Seminar
"In recent decades, many historians have done research that extends detailed knowledge and broad understanding of the Salem witch crisis of the late 17th century. Gragg (Univ. of Missouri-Rolla) has drawn on it, as well as participating in it, to produce here a narrative account for the general reader. He successfully conveys an impression of the religious domination of thought that made possible a wide acceptance of the reality of fantasies and of mischievous fiction, upon which the persecution and killing of ordinary citizens depended. Of particular interest is Gragg's account of the varied reactions of people who had been active in the persecutions, after belief in the innocence of the victims had become general. Though modern zealotry lacks, in most countries, the 17th-century background of universally shared beliefs, the dynamics underlying its threat to stable social life retains enough similarity to make knowledge of this episode a valuable component of preparation for modern citizenship. General; undergraduate through faculty."-Choice

Author Bio

LARRY GRAGG is Professor of History and Political Science at the University of Missouri-Rolla. He has published two books, Migration in Early America and A Quest for Security: The Life of Samuel Parris, 1653-1720 (Greenwood Press, 1990).