The Thing About Witch Hunts

Witchland with Professor Marion Gibson: The Witchfinder General, Civil War Chaos, and Recovering the AccusedWe sit down with Professor Marion Gibson (emeritus, Exeter University) to explore her new book, “Witchland: A Tale of Witch Hunting and War in 17th Century Britain,” a gripping, archive-driven look at the 1640s British Civil Wars and the Matthew Hopkins–John Stearne witch hunts that pursued roughly 200–300 people. Marion explains her mission to remedy a “triple injustice” by restoring the accused to history—their names, neighbors, and ordinary lives—rather than centering persecutors. We dig into how war, religious conflict, migration, and the 1604 Witchcraft Act helped fuel mass prosecutions; how “watchers,” clergy, and communities escalated sleep-deprivation interrogations; and how templates of questions produced patterned confessions about familiars, spirits, and the devil. Stories range from the nameless “Witch of Newbury” to Scotland’s pricking practices, Great Yarmouth’s transatlantic links to New England, Cornwall’s Ann Jeffries and Moses Pitt, and growing efforts to memorialize victims.00:00 Meet Marion Gibson02:49 Why Write Witchland04:43 Triple Injustice06:48 Civil War Panic09:17 Witch of Newbury11:16 Law That Enabled Hunts14:01 Familiars And Confessions17:18 Religion And Reformers20:48 Building A National Story25:00 Accusations And Watchers30:39 Templates And Scotland40:54 Cornwall Fairies Tale44:30 Memorials And Memory47:18 Buy The Book Next50:31 Final Thanks And OutroBuy Witchland by Marion GibsonBuy Books on English and European Witch TrialsCT Witch and Culture FestHistory Camp BostonEnd Witch HuntsThe Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.comThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.comSalem Witch Trials History Youtube

We head inside Roman-walled Exeter, Devon, with University of Southampton historian Mark Stoyle, author of Witchcraft in Exeter, to trace a century of quarter sessions and church-court records showing a steady trickle of cases rather than explosive mass witch hunts. Stoyle explains how Henry VIII made Exeter a county with its own justices, prison, and gallows just before Elizabeth I’s 1563 Witchcraft Act, yet local magistrates often resisted executions, sometimes banishing the accused, and most defendants were acquitted; about 30 people were formally tried, with only four executed. Stories include toad and animal familiars, harmed livestock and failed butter or beer, William Harvey dissecting a “familiar” to amuse Charles I, a boy haunted by a pig in a hat in the last Exeter case, and the Bideford witches (1682) alongside the mystery of “Alice” vs “Avis” Molland in 1685. The hosts also announce August 2026 appearances at History Camp Boston and Connecticut Witch and Culture Fest.LinksBuy The Western Rising of 1549 by Mark Stoyle: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780300276886Buy Books on English and European Witch Trials: https://bookshop.org/lists/european-witch-huntsCT Witch and Culture Fest: https://ctwitchfest.com/History Camp Boston: https://historycamp.org/events/history-camp-boston/hcb-2026/End Witch Hunts: https://www.endwitchhunts.orgThe Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.comThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.comSalem Witch Trials History Youtube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts

The Treaty of Watertown: Independence, Alliance, and the Fowle House Council ChamberWe step into an upstairs council chamber above a shoemaker’s house in Watertown, Massachusetts—where, on July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to a crowd that included Mi’kmaq and Maliseet representatives, and where the next day the Treaty of Watertown was signed as the first international treaty negotiated by the new United States. With historian Marilynne Roach of the Historical Society of Watertown, we trace how the Edmund Fowle House became Massachusetts’ wartime seat of government, what restoration work revealed about the L-shaped chamber and its preserved details, and how archival minutes illuminate daily Revolutionary governance. We also follow the treaty’s 1980s revival by Mi’kmaq veterans, the renewed collaboration with the Grand Council of the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet representatives, and plans for Watertown’s July 18 celebration marking the 250th anniversary.00:00 Watertown Treaty Preview01:52 Fowle House Restored05:43 Council Work In Wartime07:50 Who Led The Council09:43 Edmund Fowle Home Life13:09 Declaration Read Aloud15:51 Treaty Negotiations18:40 Forgotten Then Remembered21:12 Planning The 250th23:42 Friendship Still Binding25:00 Symbols Of Liberty26:18 Witch Trials Echoes27:13 Hidden Shoe Magic28:17 Visit And Support29:26 Closing Thanks And EventLinksThe Thing About Salem websiteEnd Witch HuntsThe Thing About Witch HuntsSalem Witch Trials History YouTube

Episode 200: The Long Arc of Witch Hunts—From Connecticut to a Global CrisisThe Thing About Witch Hunts: We mark episode 200 by tracing the full arc of witch hunts from ancient prosecutions to early modern demonology, colonial New England, and today’s escalating global violence. We begin with Connecticut’s executions—starting with Alice Young in 1647—and the 2023 resolution absolving the indicted victims, then widen out through England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Basque country, Sweden, and Salem, emphasizing how courts, texts, and laws shaped prosecutions and how “hysteria” does not accurately describe these bureaucratic trials. We connect historic concepts like the diabolical pact, the sabbath, and “crimen exceptum” to modern accusations, banishment, torture, and killings across at least sixty nations, citing UN-documented violence, Ghana’s Akua Denteh, and contradictory legal responses. We center survivors and the accused as people, invite action, and point listeners to endwitchhunts.org and World Day Against Witch Hunts (August 10).Thank you to the 175 guests who have appeared on the podcast and to all who have viewed or listened to The Thing About Witch Hunts. And we aren't stopping with 200 episodes. Subscribe today and watch the amazing episodes coming up.End Witch Hunts endwitchhunts.orgAbout Witch Hunts aboutwitchhunts.comSalem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts00:00 Episode 200 Mission02:53 Ancient Roots05:14 Church Turns to Heresy09:58 Malleus and Sexism11:36 England Goes Secular12:23 Pamphlets and Skeptics18:12 Laws Across Colonies25:02 Europe Scale and Stress27:17 England Local Panics31:02 Scotland Burning Regime34:50 Wales and Healing Magic37:25 Ireland Rare Trials40:11 Basque Hunt Split Courts43:16 Sweden Blockula to Salem44:40 Connecticut Before Salem46:20 Massachusetts and Salem51:22 After Trials Vigilantes53:45 Modern Global Crisis58:59 Law Patchwork Today01:01:07 Memorials and World Day01:03:20 What You Can Do01:05:22 Final Call to Action

What was a witch's familiar, and why did these animal spirits sit at the heart of English witch trials? Returning guest Dr. Holly Bamford joins hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack to explain the witch's familiar, the witch's mark, and the overlooked history of male witches in early modern England. Learn what the familiar meant, how the witch's mark was used as evidence, why the witch-familiar bond mirrored motherhood, and why men accused of witchcraft were not simply feminized. Featuring Agnes Waterhouse and her cat Satan, John Bysack and his six snails, and John Palmer's familiar named Jezebel.What a witch's familiar was in English witchcraftWhy the familiar mattered so much in witch trialsHow the witch's mark was used as evidenceWho was accused of being a male witchWhy men accused of witchcraft were not feminizedHow the witch-familiar bond mirrored motherhoodWhy Agnes Waterhouse and her cat Satan became a foundational caseWhat John Palmer's familiar Jezebel reveals about marriage00:00 Familiars in Trials01:01 Meet Dr Bamford02:08 Conference Paper Idea04:14 What Is a Familiar07:51 Pamphlets and Audiences11:47 Counting Trials Limits15:03 Agnes Waterhouse Case19:21 Marks and Teats22:56 Motherhood and Familiars31:52 Male Witches and Snails41:49 Humanoid Familiar Jezebel46:27 Further Reading Wrap48:53 Modern Meaning Outro#WitchTrials #Witchcraft #WitchsFamiliar #WitchesMark #MaleWitches #WitchcraftHistory #EarlyModernEngland #Familiars #Folklore #AgnesWaterhouse #HistoryPodcast #WitchHunts #EndWitchHuntsBuy: Witchcraft, the Devil, and Emotions in Early Modern England by Charlotte-Rose Millar https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780367204549Buy the book Cunning-Folk and Familiar Spirits by Emma Wilby https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781845190798Register for the Magic and Witchcraft Conference June 24-25 Online & In Personhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/magic-and-witchcraft-conference-2026-nature-and-the-supernatural-tickets-1989231567166End Witch Hunts: https://www.endwitchhunts.orgThe Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com

Metacom’s Resistance, Puritan Mythology, and King Philip’s War with Sarah Stewart (Partnership of Historic Bostons)We speak with Sarah Stewart, president of the Partnership of Historic Bostons, a public history organization focused on 17th-century New England, to confront Puritan mythology and widen the lens beyond Salem to Indigenous history, enslaved Africans, and displaced peoples. We dig into why King Philip’s War, which is often skipped in schools and told through colonial monuments, Increase Mather, and captivity narratives, was a turning point that devastated Native sovereignty, reshaped New England, and fed the fear that later influenced the Salem witch trials. Sarah breaks down PHB’s “Metacom’s Resistance” series, the need for reframing the war through Indigenous voices, and the realities of enslavement, land commodification, and legal encroachment on sovereignty. 00:00 Meet Sarah Stewart00:50 Origins of the Partnership01:51 Broadening the 17th Century Lens03:21 Programs and Events04:58 Puritans Beyond the Myths06:51 Building Community Feedback08:06 Why King Philip's War Matters10:53 How the Story Got Distorted13:22 Metacom's Resistance Series17:49 Indigenous Voices Center Stage20:50 Violence and Witch Trial Fear23:59 Captivity and Enslavement25:53 Land Commodification Clash28:50 Land And Equality29:31 Amplifying Indigenous Voices33:08 Powerful Panels And Future Events37:08 Puritans Fear And Ongoing Wars39:11 Courts Sovereignty And Punishment42:23 Thomas Morton And Other Paths45:29 War Choices And Modern Parallels46:55 Audience Reflections And Truth52:01 Keep Learning Stay ConnectedPartnership of Historic Bostons“The Unknown War: King Philip's War, 1675-1678” (video)“The Past is Now: An Inter-Tribal Panel Discussion of King Philp's War” (video)“Surviving Slavery: Indigenous Enslavement in King Philip's War” (video)“Erasure: History, Memory and King Philip's War” (video)“What Really Happened at Turners Falls?” (video)“The Long Legacy: The Cost and Consequences of King Philip's War” (video)“The Slews and Hoars of Beverly: From Witchcraft to Slavery” (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GEspMnY9-o“The Other: Understanding Witch Hunts, Part I, with Emerson Baker, Sarah Jack, and Josh Hutchinson” (video)“Resistance: Stopping Witch Hunts, Part II” (video)Jenny Hale Pulsipher, Subjects unto the Same King: Indians, English, and the Contest for Authority in Colonial New EnglandJill Lepore, The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American IdentityPeter C. Mancall, The Trials of Thomas Morton

We turn the mic on each other for a fast, personal Q&A spanning Salem and global witch hunts, from the infamous Salem witch cake to pop-culture “broom” upgrades and the accused people we can’t stop thinking about, including Samuel Wardwell, Katherine Harrison, Mary Esty, and Rebecca Nurse. We dig into why confessions didn’t always save lives, how spectral evidence shaped cases, and how banishment could be a brutal alternative to execution. We break down our three podcast formats—Salem Witch Trials Daily, The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials, and The Thing About Witch Hunts—and share what listeners most ask about innocence, “real” witchcraft, and the reality that accusations still occur in at least 60 countries. We close with how End Witch Hunts grows through volunteering, donations, subscriptions, and petitions for exonerations.00:00 Welcome And Guests01:18 Witch Cake Debate02:23 Flying On Appliances03:52 Accused Who Haunt Us08:17 Banishment And Survival09:20 Three Podcasts Explained10:57 Questions We Get Asked13:32 Research Methods Shift15:21 Growing Reach Staying Grounded19:10 What Makes Our Show Different24:15 Devil Nicknames And Laughs26:58 Witch Trials Ice Cream29:38 Descendant Emotions And Ancestors35:31 Understanding Accusers And Fear43:43 Why The Accused Were Innocent45:31 June Trials And Daily Plug46:24 How To Support End Witch Hunts51:36 Final Thanks And Call To Action LinksSupport The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://endwitchhunts.org/donateThe Thing About Witch Hunts Website: https://aboutwitchhunts.comThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.comSalem Witch Trials Daily: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhuntsSalem Witch Hunt Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/salemwitchhunt

Divination folklore, folk magic history, and the practice of reading omens, cards, and natural signs are at the heart of this conversation with Icy Sedgwick, author of Fate or Fortune: The Art and Folklore of Divination, folklorist, and host of the Fabulous Folklore Podcast. From ancient liver divination in Mesopotamia to love divination games played by young women in early modern England, this episode traces the deep folk roots of divinatory practice across centuries and cultures.Icy Sedgwick is a writer, researcher, and diviner specializing in folklore, plant lore, and folk magic. Her book Fate or Fortune: The Art of Divination explores the history, folklore, and practice of divination from a folklore studies perspective. She is the creator and host of the Fabulous Folklore Podcast, based in Newcastle, England.Divination is one of the oldest and most universal human impulses, and its fingerprints are all over witch trial history. In this episode, Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack sit down with Icy Sedgwick to explore what folk magic tradition tells us about the people who practiced divination, why they sought answers through omens and tools and rituals, and what those practices reveal about the communities that preserved them. The conversation is wide-ranging, deeply grounded in folklore scholarship, and endlessly surprising.IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:What separates divination from fortune telling, and why has that distinction mattered throughout history?How did cunning women turn ordinary household objects into powerful folk magic tools?What do love divination rituals reveal about the real lives of women in early modern communities?Why did playing cards become so deeply entangled with the devil in folk tradition?What ancient civilizations left behind physical records of their divination practices, and what did those records reveal?How has dowsing been used for purposes far stranger than finding water?What does folklore say about omens you never asked for but receive anyway?Which forms of divination are experiencing a genuine resurgence right now, and which trend is Icy warning practitioners to avoid?Pick up Icy Sedgwick's book Fate or Fortune: The Art and Folklore of Divination through our affiliate bookshop at bookshop.org/shop/endwitchhuntsicysedgwick.com#divination #folklore #folkmagic #witchtrials #salemwitchtrials #fortunetelling #cunningfolk #omens #tarot #cartomancy #dowsing #folklorePodcast #witchhunts #occulthistory #historicalpodcast #folklorestudies #divinationhistory #witchcraft #palmistry #scapulamancy

Alice Young was the first person executed for witchcraft in the American colonies, in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1647, before the Salem witch trials. Award-winning author Beth Caruso and playwright Lauren Cavanaugh join Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack to explore her story and the new play Windsor's Daughter that is bringing her life back into the light.This conversation moves between historical research and present-day resonance, asking what it means to memorialize people whose graves were never marked, whose names faded from community memory, and whose persecution mirrors patterns still unfolding today.WHAT YOU WILL LEARNWhy Alice Young's 1647 execution changed American historyWhy her name nearly vanished from historyWhat made Windsor, Connecticut, a powder kegHow a play brings her execution to the stage without showing itWhy there is no grave to visitWhat the 2023 exoneration meant for her descendantsHow her story connects to persecution happening todayWhere to follow Windsor's Daughter as it finds its stageLinksAuthor Beth Caruso at OneofWindsor.com https://www.oneofwindsor.com/Playwright Lauren Cavanaugh https://hartford.culturalyst.com/CavanaughLMCConnecticutwitchtrials.org https://connecticutwitchtrials.org/Listen to more CT Witch Trials Podcast Episodes https://connecticutwitchtrials.org/witch-hunt-podcast/Support the Podcast Buy a Witch Trial History Book! https://bookshop.org/lists/connecticut-witch-trials

Elizabeth Bathory is one of pop culture's favorite monsters. Accused of torturing and killing hundreds of young women, she's inspired everything from Snow White's evil stepmother to Lady Gaga. But the actual historical record shows almost none of it happened.Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack sit down with Shelley Puhak, author of The Blood Countess: Murder, Betrayal, and the Making of a Monster, to trace the documented history behind one of history's most sensationalized witch trial-adjacent cases. From the fractured Kingdom of Hungary to a Lutheran minister's invisible demonic cat army, this episode connects the Bathory case to the broader European witch trials and the religious and political warfare driving them.What You'll LearnWhat the preserved record actually showsThe witchcraft and magic accusations woven into the caseThe political war that made Bathory a targetWhat the Palatine of Hungary stood to gain from her downfallThe one minister behind the witchcraft accusationsWhy no bodies were ever foundWhat her own letters reveal about who she really wasThe role of ointments, alchemy, and antimonyWhy widowed noblewomen were especially vulnerable to accusationThe tension between a pop culture monster and a real historical victimWhat justice could look like About Shelley PuhakShelley Puhak is a poet, essayist, and historian from Maryland. Her previous nonfiction book, The Dark Queens (Bloomsbury, 2022), was a national bestseller and Goodreads Choice Awards finalist. Her essays have appeared in The Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, and Virginia Quarterly Review.LinksBuy the book: Blood Countess by Shelley Puhak https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781639732159Learn about the Author on ShelleyPuhak.com https://shelleypuhak.com/End Witch Hunts endwitchhunts.orgAbout Witch Hunts aboutwitchhunts.comSalem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts

What does 1692 have to do with 1775? More than you might think.The families of 1692 did not vanish from history. One to two generations after the Salem witch trials, descendants of both the accused and the accusers were drilling on village training fields, defying British soldiers, and dying on the same battlefields. Israel Putnam, one of the Revolution's boldest generals, was born in Salem Village, raised in a family at the center of 1692, and though he moved to Connecticut, he answered the call when Massachusetts needed him most.From Leslie's Retreat in Salem to the Battle of Menotomy, Bunker Hill, the siege of Boston, Long Island, and Saratoga, the men of Essex County were present from the first confrontation to the wider war. And Benjamin Franklin's tie to the Salem witch trials runs closer than most people know.This episode connects two of American history's most significant chapters and asks: what did the witch trial era leave behind, and how did it shape the people who built this country?Danvers and Salem historian Dan Gagnon, author of A Salem Witch: A Biography of Rebecca Nurse, returns to The Thing About Witch Hunts to tell stories of the North Shore's role in the American Revolution as part of America 250. From a standoff at a toll bridge to the bloodiest stretch of road on Patriots Day 1775, the story of Essex County and the Lexington Alarm is one most Americans were never taught.Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack trace the thread from the Salem witch trials through Lexington and Concord, from the Rebecca Nurse Homestead to the halls of the Continental Congress, and from the accused of 1692 to the soldiers of 1775.What You Will Learn:The through-line between 1692 and 1775 that changes how you understand bothWhy Leslie's Retreat in Salem months before Lexington and Concord matters more than you have been toldWhat happened when Salem witch trial family names started showing up on revolutionary muster rollsIsrael Putnam: the founding-era general with Salem Village roots whose story was nearly erased from history, and whyA founding father with a direct family tie to the Salem witch trials, and what that connection revealsWhat one brutal day at the Battle of Menotomy cost a single Massachusetts town, and why they brought their dead homeWhat you can see at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead today that quietly holds the story of two centuriesDan Gagnon leads walking tours in Danvers and the Rebecca Nurse Homestead is open seasonally. #AmericanRevolution #America250 #IsraelPutnam #LesliesRetreat #BattleOfMemotomy #BattleOfBunkerHill #SiegeOfBoston #LexingtonAndConcord #LexingtonAlarm #PatriotsDay1775 #BattleOfLongIsland #FrenchAndIndianWar #BostonTeaParty #GeneralGage #GeorgeWashington #BenjaminFranklin #RebeccaNurse #RebeccaNurseHomestead #DanversAlarmList #Minutemen #ContinentalCongress #CoerciveActs #Marblehead #Menotomy #Arlington #EssexCounty #NorthShore #ColonialHistory #AmericanHistory #FoundingFathers #RevolutionaryWarLinks Rebecca Nurse Homestead: rebeccanurse.orgA Salem Witch: A Biography of Rebecca Nurse by Dan Gagnon: www.bookshop.org/Shop/endwitchhuntsEnd Witch Hunts endwitchhunts.orgAbout Witch Hunts aboutwitchhunts.comSalem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts

Fairy history, folklore, and belief across two thousand years of European culture: that is what we are diving into today with historian of religion and belief Dr. Francis Young, author of the new book Fairies: A HistoryDr. Young holds a doctorate in History from Cambridge University, is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a folklorist, a Balticist, a lay canon of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, and a series editor for Cambridge University Press. He teaches for Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education and broadcasts regularly for BBC Radio on history, religion, and folklore. He is the author, editor, or co-author of over two dozen books.Fairies: A History is a complete survey of fairy belief from prehistoric animism through the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and into the present day. In this episode, Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack ask Dr. Young the big questions: What are fairies? Where do they come from? How do fairy beliefs vary across Europe? What is the relationship between fairy folklore and witch trial testimony? And why is fairy belief still very much alive today?In this episode you will learn:In this episode you will learn:What exactly is a fairy?What do fairies want from humans?How is a fairy different from a ghost, a witch, or an angel?Why should you never eat food in fairy land?Where did the fairy godmother really come from?Have fairies always had wings?Why do children seem more attuned to fairy belief than adults?Could fairies be a feature of human consciousness itself?Are people still seeing fairies today?Links:drfrancisyoung.comFairies: A History is available for pre-order in our online bookstoreLearn more about witchcraft accusations past and present at endwitchhunts.org and aboutwitchhunts.comThe Thing About Witch Hunts is hosted by Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack.#fairyhistory #fairyfolklore #fairybelief #witchtrials #folklore #folklorehistory #witchcraft #fairies #changeling #fairytales #historypodcast #folklorepodcast

What did the scholars who studied witchcraft most seriously actually believe? And why did their conclusions so often cut against prosecution?Professor Darren Oldridge of the University of Worcester joins Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack to examine the intellectual world that produced English demonology and shaped witch trials on both sides of the Atlantic.In this episode:Why the devil mattered far more than witches to learned English ProtestantsThe demonological writers whose work traveled directly to colonial New EnglandWhat Reginald Scott and George Gifford argued, and why it surprised their contemporariesThe specific figure whose writing brought popular and learned ideas into dangerous alignmentWhy the demonic pact was central to prosecution and nearly impossible to proveWhat the Massachusetts law code of the 1640s reveals about biblical influence on colonial legal thinkingHow Increase Mather's skepticism at Salem connected to a century of English Protestant thoughtWhy the "good witch" was considered more dangerous than the harmful oneLearn more at endwitchhunts.org and aboutwitchhunts.com.#WitchTrials #SalemWitchTrials #Demonology #WitchHunts #DevilHistory #WitchcraftHistory #EnglishHistory #HistoryPodcast #EarlyModernHistory #WitchcraftPodcast #EndWitchHunts #ProtestantHistory #ColonialHistory #SalemHistoryLinksProfessor Darren Oldridge https://www.worcester.ac.uk/about/profiles/professor-darren-oldridgeBuy Books by Darren Oldridge https://bookshop.org/lists/guests-of-the-thing-about-witch-hunts-podcastLearn more at endwitchhunts.org and aboutwitchhunts.comSign the Boston Exoneration Petition change.org/witchtrialsWe're on Youtube too! www.youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts

The Conjuring franchise named a real Salem witch trial victim as the origin of a Satanic lineage. Mary Towne Easty was executed in 1692. She did not curse anyone. She did not sacrifice a baby. And she has millions of living descendants, including your hosts.Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack are direct descendants of Mary Towne Easty. In this episode they break down exactly what The Conjuring, Annabelle, and the Conjuring Universe get wrong about real history, real people, and real court records, and what those people actually did and said.The Warrens built a career on these stories. James Wan built a franchise. But behind Bathsheba Sherman, behind the hanging scene, behind the demonic lineage that launched nine films and over two billion dollars in box office, are three real women whose names deserve to be known for who they actually were.Who was Bathsheba Sherman? Her grave has been vandalized because of this film.Who was Susan Richardson Arnold? The real documented death behind the hanging scene. Who was Mary Towne Easty? A grandmother and the author of one of the most powerful legal petitions in American history. Written from prison. Written for others. Not for herself.Also in this episode: the Annabelle doll is headed to Salem. A comedian now manages the Warren artifacts. The Conjuring is a great horror film. These are the real people underneath it.Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack host The Thing About Witch Hunts, a podcast from End Witch Hunts nonprofit. New episodes every week.See the real Mary Easty Petition Learn more at endwitchhunts.org and aboutwitchhunts.comSign the Boston Exoneration Petition#TheConjuring #Annabelle #EdAndLorraineWarren #SalemWitchTrials #MaryEasty #BathshebaSherman #ConjuringUniverse #horrorpodcast #paranormal #truestory #1692 #witchhunts #historypodcast #haunted

What can a five-foot-long magic scroll tell us about early modern fears, beliefs, and the people who sought protection through cunning folk? Sara Lent Frier, Assistant Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, joins Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack to explore her exhibition "Cunning Folk: Witchcraft, Magic, and Occult Knowledge."Sara walks us through this collection show, which draws from both the Cantor Arts Center and Stanford's Green Library to present rare artifacts from the early modern period, roughly 1500 to 1750. The exhibit also features contemporary California artists whose work responds directly to that history, creating a conversation across centuries.In this episode:What cunning folk were and the roles they played in early modern communities How the Cantor Arts Center brought together artifacts and contemporary art in a single exhibition The stories behind objects including magic scrolls and a miniature bureau connected to the Salem witch trials What Stanford's collections reveal about the intersection of magic, medicine, and knowledge in early modern Europe How contemporary artists are engaging with this history todayWhether you are a historian, an art lover, or someone drawn to the deeper history of witchcraft accusations and occult belief, this conversation offers a rare look at objects that survived centuries and the scholars keeping their stories alive.The Thing About Witch Hunts is hosted by Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack.Learn more at endwitchhunts.org and aboutwitchhunts.com.LinksView Cunning Folk Exhibit Cantor Arts Center🎥 Watch more on YouTube: youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts🌐 Learn more about our work on historical and contemporary witchcraft accusations at endwitchhunts.org

Oxford historian Professor John Blair explores vampire beliefs, predatory corpses, and the deep connections between witchcraft and folklore in medieval and early modern Europe — and colonial New England.What do vampires, witch trials, and shroud-chewing corpses have in common? More than you might think.In this episode of The Thing About Witch Hunts, hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack sit down with Professor John Blair, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History and Archaeology at the University of Oxford and Fellow of The Queen's College, Oxford. Professor Blair is the author of the book Killing the Dead: Corpses, Vampires, and the Unquiet Dead in Medieval and Early Modern Europe — a landmark study of how premodern communities understood the body, fear, and the threat of the dangerous dead.This conversation goes deep into the history of vampire beliefs and folklore, including:The origins of the word "vampire" and the many names given to predatory corpses across culturesCorpse execution practices in medieval and early modern EuropeSleep paralysis and its role in shaping beliefs about the unquiet deadThe Malleus Maleficarum and its connections to vampire and witchcraft loreShroud-chewing, witch cakes, and vampire cakes — and what these practices reveal about community fearStriking parallels between vampire beliefs and witchcraft accusations in colonial New England, including the Salem Witch TrialsWhether you're interested in medieval folklore, the history of witchcraft, vampire mythology, early modern European history, or the Salem trials, this episode offers essential historical context for understanding how fear, the body, and the supernatural intersected in the premodern world.📖 Pick up Killing the Dead at bookshop.org/shop/endwitchhunts https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780691224794🎥 Watch more on YouTube: youtube.com/@aboutwitchhunts🌐 Learn more about our work on historical and contemporary witchcraft accusations at endwitchhunts.orgIf this episode was valuable to you, please leave a review and share it with someone who loves history, folklore, or the early modern world. It helps others find the show and keeps this important work going.HASHTAGS: #VampireHistory #VampireFolklore #MedievalHistory #WitchcraftHistory #TheDangerousDead #SalemWitchTrials #EarlyModernEurope #Folklore #UnquietDead #MalleusM aleficarum #SleepParalysis #HistoryPodcast #WitchHunts #OxfordHistory #TheThingAboutWitchHunts #KillingTheDead #ProfJohnBlair #ColonialNewEngland #HistoricalFolklore #WitchTrials

Check out Salem Witch Trials Daily, our new podcast that follows the 1692 Salem Witch Trials in real time, day by day, court date by court date, through the documented record. In Salem, Massachusetts, 19 people were executed, one man was pressed to death for refusing trial, and more than a hundred others were accused and imprisoned, leaving a lasting mark on American history. Building on the extraordinary listener response to this series when it launched within The Thing About Salem, the show now has its own dedicated feed, available wherever you get podcasts. Each micro-episode is tied to the actual calendar of 1692 and draws directly from primary sources like court documents, examination transcripts, petitions, letters, and contemporary accounts, alongside established scholarship and our own research. We also provide weekly companion blog posts and downloadable worksheets on aboutsalem.com for deeper, self-paced learning.⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily – The Thing About Salem Podcast

In 1629, 27 men, women, and a 15-year-old child were executed in Peebles, Scotland — and their ashes cast into the River Tweed. For centuries, their names were largely forgotten. Now, a community theater production called Rope and Flame is bringing their stories back to life, just steps from the river where they were lost.Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack sit down with the creative team behind this remarkable project: director and co-writer Clare Prenton, playwright and co-writer Anita John, actor Scott Noble, and historian Mary Craig, whose book Borders Witch Hunt laid the foundation for the script.This conversation will take you into the Scottish Borders, into the streets and kirk of a 17th-century market town under pressure from famine, religious upheaval, and the reach of Edinburgh's legal machinery. Listeners will come away with a richer understanding of how witchcraft accusations spread through a community, why both accusers and accused deserve to be understood as full human beings, and what a commemorative plaque on Tweed Green sparked in a modern Scottish town.You'll also hear how three women writers intentionally pushed back against the framing of female fear and coercion as irrational, how a 15-year-old girl was pressured into naming names, and why one local historian argues that boots on the ground matter more than books when it comes to understanding the past.From generational trauma to the parallels between 17th-century gossip and why the mechanics of a whisper spreading through a 17th-century Scottish market town are not as distant from our own moment as we might like to think. this episode connects the Scottish witch trials to questions that are urgently alive right now.In This EpisodeThe history of the 1629 Peebles witch trials and what made the Scottish Borders a hotbed of witchcraft prosecutionsHow the 2022 memorial on Tweed Green sparked a community theater productionThe role of Calvinism, political turmoil under Charles I, and economic hardship in fueling accusationsWhy Rope and Flame portrays accusers as complex, frightened human beings rather than simple villainsThe story of Isabel Haddock, the 15-year-old accused whose testimony changed everythingHow community theater is doing what history books alone cannotIf this episode moved you, share it. These stories survive because people carry them forward. Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack are descendants of Salem witch trial victims who helped build End Witch Hunts nonprofit to educate about witch hunts past and present, advocate for the accused, and support the communities doing that work. Subscribe to The Thing About Witch Hunts wherever you listen, and visit endwitchhunts.org to learn more and donate.LinksPlay Podcast Episode: A History of Scottish Witches with Mary W. CraigPlay Podcast Episode: Scottish Witch Trials with Mary W. CraigDuns Play Fest East Gate Arts TheatreBuy Books Mentioned in this EpisodeSign the Petition to Exonerate the Boston 8The History of Witch Trial Exonerations in MassachusettsAbout the MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectPurchase a MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Memorial Pin

What's in This EpisodePodcasthon is a global event where thousands of podcasters use their platforms to raise money for a cause they believe in. This year, The Thing About Witch Hunts is participating to support End Witch Hunts, the only US nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about witchcraft accusation violence past and present. If this episode moves you, donate at endwitchhunts.org/donate. Every contribution goes directly to the work.The Salem Witch Trials ended in 1693. We know what went wrong. And yet the pattern keeps showing up, different century, different accusation, same structure. This episode names that structure.Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack step back from individual cases to look at what moral panics are actually made of: how they get built, who builds them, who gets targeted, and why the fear feels so real and so righteous from the inside. The history moves from colonial Massachusetts through the Red Scares, McCarthyism, and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and 1990s, connecting to witchcraft accusation violence happening in communities around the world right now.What You'll LearnWhy the same panic keeps working across centuries. How institutions transform fear into prosecution. Who gets chosen as the target, and why that choice is never random. What genuine fear has to do with other agendas operating underneath it. And perhaps most importantly: what the people who actually disrupted witch hunts throughout history had in common.The dissenters are always in the record. This episode finds them.Why It MattersEvery person who can recognize a moral panic in progress becomes a potential dissenter. That is not a small thing. Support End Witch Hunts at endwitchhunts.org/donate. Keywords: moral panic, witch hunts, Salem witch trials, Satanic Panic, McCarthyism, Red Scare, witchcraft accusation violence, folk devils, spectral evidence, historical exoneration, End Witch Hunts, Podcasthon 2026, Dr. Leo Igwe, Maimunat Mohammed, Thomas Brattle, Cotton Mather, Massachusetts Bill H.5154LinksBuy the Book: Folk Devils and Moral Panics by Stanley Cohen Buy the Book: The Enemy Within, A Short History of Witch Hunting⁠Listen to Podcasthon: When Children are Accused of WitchcraftListen to the Episode:Fearing the Devil: A Cultural History of America’s Satanic Panic with Scott CulpepperArticle by Dr. Leo Igwe Give to Gain: Justice for Women Accused of Witchcraft in AfricaAdvocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) End Witch HuntsUN Human Rights Council Resolution 47/8

In honor of International Women's Day 2026, End Witch Hunts hosted a powerful panel discussion bringing together advocates, legal experts, journalists, and survivors to raise awareness about witchcraft accusations targeting women in Nigeria and across Africa. This conversation is part of the global "Give to Gain" initiative — the theme of International Women's Day 2026 — calling on individuals, organizations, and governments to give resources, empathy, legal support, and voice so that women accused of witchcraft can gain justice, safety, and dignity.Witchcraft accusations disproportionately target women, especially those who are poor, widowed, elderly, or otherwise vulnerable. Accusation can mean social ostracism, physical violence, displacement, imprisonment, and even death. Our panelists shared firsthand experience, legal expertise, and on-the-ground advocacy work illuminating what is happening in Nigeria today and what all of us can do about it.How witchcraft accusations specifically harm women and compound existing inequalityThe psychological toll of accusation, including self-doubt and mental health impactsLegal protections that exist in Nigeria and why they are not being usedHow women can seek justice through courts, NGOs, and community channels even without financial resourcesThe role of patriarchy, poverty, and community silence in perpetuating accusationWhy empowerment and financial independence are protective factorsHow diaspora communities outside Nigeria are funding witchcraft accusations back homeWhat governments, international organizations, media, and individuals can give to create real changeThe critical importance of reaching rural communities in local languagesDr. Leo Igwe is the director of Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), an initiative working to end witch hunts in Africa by 2030, and the Critical Thinking Social Empowerment Foundation. A board member of Humanist International and the Humanist Association of Nigeria, Dr. Igwe earned his doctoral degree from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, where he wrote his thesis on witchcraft accusations.Chief Magistrate Safiya Musa Salihu is a Chief Magistrate in Bauchi State, Nigeria, and Vice Chairman of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Bauchi branch. She has trained paralegals across multiple communities and works fearlessly to ensure that accused women have access to justice.Hauwa Mundi is a broadcast journalist with Radio Nigeria — the largest radio network in Africa with over 40 million listeners — a social media influencer, and a member of Advocacy for Alleged Witches. She uses her platform to challenge belief in witchcraft and amplify the stories of the accused.Maimunat Mohammed is an Information Officer at a university in Minna and representative of the Niger State Branch of Advocacy for Alleged Witches. She shared her own experience of being accused alongside her mother following her father's death, and her years of advocating for her family in the face of community hostility.Dr. Barrister is the National President of the Association of Women against Gender-Based Violence and founder of the ADI Foundation in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, working for justice and security for vulnerable persons.Article by Dr. Leo Igwe Give to Gain: Justice for Women Accused of Witchcraft in Africa Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW) End Witch HuntsInternational Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Association of Women against Gender-Based Violence Radio NigeriaUN Human Rights Council Resolution 47/8

What does American literature reveal about how a society imagines justice, belonging, and the power of women? Samaine Lockwood, Associate Professor of English at George Mason University and the 2026 Fenwick Fellow, has spent years tracing that question through one of the most enduring stories in American culture: the Salem witch trials. Her fellowship project, Tituba Indian: The History of an American Cultural Figure  follows Tituba Indian from the historical record of 1692 through two centuries of novels, plays, and reimaginings to ask what her story has been made to carry and why.In This EpisodeHow the Salem witch trials became one of the most reimagined episodes in American literary historyWhy Tituba Indian sits at the center of debates about race, gender, and civic belonging across two centuries of American cultureHow culture reuses the pastHow Ann Petry's Tituba of Salem Village broke from literary tradition decades before most readers noticedWhy Arthur Miller's The Crucible remains complicated and how teachers are beginning to challenge it in the classroomThe real significance of the witch as a figure in literature, from colonial revival to contemporary young adult fictionWhere to find the vast archive of Salem witch trial literature that predates copyright, freely available onlineAbout Samaine Lockwood Samaine Lockwood is an Associate Professor of English at George Mason University, specializing in 19th century American literature and gender and sexuality studies. She is the 2026 Fenwick Fellow, a research fellowship funded by the George Mason Fenwick Library supporting her book in progress, Tituba Indian and the History of an American Cultural Figure. Her previous book, Archives of Desire: the Queer Historical Work of New England Regionalism, was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2015.Authors and Works Mentioned in This EpisodeAnn Petry: Tituba of Salem Village; The Narrows; Biography of Harriet Tubman. First black woman to write a bestselling novel in the United States.Maryse Conde: I, Tituba: Black Witch of SalemHenry William Herbert: The Fair Puritan (written 1850s, published 1870s)Elizabeth Gaskell: Lois the WitchCharlotte Perkins Gilman (with Grace Ellery Channing): Untitled Salem play, 1890, held at the Schlesinger Library, HarvardPauline Elizabeth Hopkins: Fiction writer, first Black woman editor of a magazine, key figure in the Boston African American community at the turn of the 20th centuryArthur Miller: The CrucibleMarian Starkey: The Devil in MassachusettsMatilda Joslyn Gage: Woman, Church, and State (1890s)Saidiya Hartman: Venus in Two ActsGretchen Adams: The Specter of SalemHenry James: The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost StoriesKimberly Bellflower: John Proctor is the Villain (Broadway, 2024)Samaine Lockwood: Archives of Desire: the Queer Historical Work of New England Regionalism Keith Clark: The Radical Fiction of Ann PetryWhere to Find These Works Most works published before 1923 are in the public domain and freely available through Open Library and Internet Archive. For titles still in print, support this podcast and End Witch Hunts by purchasing through our Bookshop.org storefront: bookshop.org/shop/endwitchhuntsEvery purchase (of any title) through Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores and helps fund the work of End Witch Hunts when you purchase through our affiliate link.LinksPublications by Samaine LockwoodUniversity Libraries has named Samaine Lockwood, associate professor of English, the 2026 Fenwick FellowBuy Books Mentioned in Today's Episode Sign the Petition to Exonerate the Boston 8 The History of Witch Trial Exonerations in Massachusetts About the MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectPurchase a MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Memorial Pin

Most people meet Tituba through Arthur Miller. Nicole Brooks met her differently. The Canadian artist, producer, composer, and performer spent over a decade creating Obeah Opera, a fully sung a cappella theatrical work that centers Tituba and the other women of Salem as healers, wise women, and people who loved and were loved. In this conversation Nicole opens up about the research, the music, the controversy, and the story she believes America is ready to hear.What You Will LearnWho Tituba was beyond The CrucibleWhy Nicole positions every woman in the story as a healerHow the word Obeah appears in Puritan records and what that tells usThe love story at the heart of Obeah OperaHow the girls who made accusations were themselves silenced and powerlessWhat Tituba's name means in YorubaWhy an all-female cast changes how the story landsHow music makes the heaviest history bearableGuest Nicole Brooks, creator of Obeah OperaResources and Links Sign the Petition to Exonerate the Boston 8The History of Witch Trial Exonerations in MassachusettsAbout the MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectPurchase a MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Memorial Pin

About This EpisodeWhat if Boston's colonial past held witch trial stories just as gripping as Salem's but almost entirely overlooked? This week, Sarah and Josh sit down with D. Brenton Simons, President Emeritus and former CEO of American Ancestors (New England Historic Genealogical Society), to uncover the witches, criminals, and scandal-makers that Boston's official history left out.D. Brenton Simons spent 18 years leading American Ancestors, one of the world's foremost genealogical organizations with over 500,000 members in 139 countries. He is the author of Witches, Rakes, and Rogues, a collection of true Boston stories spanning 1630 to 1741, and was honored by King Charles III for his contributions to Anglo-American history.Boston had a witchcraft period spanning over a century, and the stories from it look nothing like what popular culture has taught us. Brenton walks us through cases that defy every stereotype, including a wealthy, well-connected woman whose "disagreeable" personality made her a target after her husband's death, an Irish Catholic servant whose foreign language and customs terrified a Puritan community, and women whose only real crime was practicing folk medicine and refusing to be pushed around.The research behind this book took five years and required digging through court records, personal diaries, and archives. The result is a portrait of real people navigating a world where the devil felt as immediate and dangerous as a neighbor's grudge.The woman who appears as a background character in The Scarlet Letter and the real, devastating story behind her nameHow the Goodwin children's afflictions during the Goody Glover case reveal something very human about fear and attentionThe connection between Mercy Short's post-traumatic experiences and the Salem trialsWhy the discovery of a black cat may have saved Boston from a second wave of witch huntingWhat happened to accusations that never became trials, and why those stories matter just as muchFor descendants of Boston and Connecticut witch trial victims, this episode is essential listening. Brenton discusses his research connecting Mary Hale, Winifred Benham Sr., and the Benham family line across generations and colonies. If you have colonial New England ancestry, you may have more connections to these stories than you realize.American Ancestors / New England Historic Genealogical SocietyAmerican Ancestors on YouTubeWitches, Rakes, and Rogues by D. Brenton Simons End Witch HuntsThe Thing About Witch Hunts is produced by End Witch Hunts, the only U.S. nonprofit dedicated to witchcraft accusation awareness. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with anyone who loves colonial history, genealogy, or untold American stories.

What happens when spiritual beliefs are used to justify harm against children in the United States? In this episode, Josh Hutchinson, Sarah Jack, and guest host Mary Bingham explore Spiritual and Ritual Abuse, known as SARA, and why it remains a largely unrecognized crisis in American communities. The team examines how belief-driven violence crosses every demographic and faith background, discusses the landmark case of 3-year-old Arely Procter, and raises critical questions about accountability when religious freedom is invoked as a legal defense.What Spiritual and Ritual Abuse (SARA) is and how international bodies define itHow SARA manifests in the United States across faiths, communities, and demographicsWhy cases of belief-driven child abuse often go unrecognized or are prosecuted without acknowledging the spiritual motivations behind themHow familiar cases like Elizabeth Smart and Ruby Franke fall under the SARA umbrellaThe story of Arely Procter and the ongoing legal proceedings in Santa Clara County, CaliforniaWhat the Racial Justice Act of 2020 is and how it is being used in Arely's caseWhy the United States lacks a centralized system for monitoring spiritual abuse-and what End Witch Hunts is doing about itWhat research tells us about the prevalence of supernatural beliefs in AmericaMary Bingham is a director of End Witch Hunts and a researcher focused on spiritual and ritual abuse cases spanning historical witch trials through present-day prosecutions. Her case research and victim profiles are available on the Sarah Wildes 1692 YouTube channel, including a dedicated playlist for World Day Against Witch Hunts 2025.SARA (Spiritual and Ritual Abuse): Abuse where an offender uses spiritual, superstitious, or traditional beliefs to justify harming others, or uses a victim's own beliefs to manipulate and control them.Harmful Traditional Practices: The United Nations' terminology for practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks, reported in at least 60 nations.Racial Justice Act of 2020 (California): Legislation ensuring that racial, ethnic, or national origin does not influence criminal investigations intentionally or unintentionally.National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)National Deaf Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 855-812-1001 or text START to 88788.Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: Call or text 800-422-4453.If you are experiencing spiritual or ritual abuse in the home, trained advocates are available around the clock.Hosts: Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack Guest Host: Mary Bingham Produced by: End Witch Hunts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationNew episodes weekly. Available wherever you listen to podcasts. The Thing About Witch Hunts has been heard in 100+ countries worldwide.LinksEnd Witch Hunts Project: End Spiritual and Ritual Abuse SARA Cases YouTube Playlist National Domestic Violence Hotline Podcast Episode: Jordan Alexander Discusses Spiritual and Ritual Abuse Podcast Episode: Witchcraft Beliefs Around the World with Boris Gershman Article by Mary Bingham: Witch Hunting from Salem to San Jose: Dorothy Good and Arely Proctor Article by Mary Bingham: The Psychology Behind Witchcraft AccusationsLaw & Crime Network YouTube Video on Arely Proctor Racial Justice Act Defense https://youtu.be/4DJnPgnRVmY?si=8zSMLDGpT0hLw-YL

Wales has something most countries don't: complete, intact court records from every witch trial held in the Court of Great Sessions. Author Mari Ellis Dunning used these archives to write Witch, a historical novel set in 16th century Wales.About the novel:Witch follows Doli, a Welsh young woman desperate to have a baby who seeks help from a local soothsayer. The story explores what happens when accusations arise in a community caught between old Welsh traditions and new English Protestant law.The historical context:Five witch trials in Wales resulted in death sentences. The records show fascinating details, including Gwen ferch Ellis's case where "ignoramus" (case dismissed) was physically crossed out before her conviction.Mari discusses the tension between licensed and unlicensed midwives, how the Royal College of Physicians excluded women from medicine, and why lay healers were often more effective than the male physicians who replaced them. Class boundaries determined which accusations progressed to trial.The conversation explores:How Mari balanced creating relatable, nuanced characters while staying true to the limited agency women actually had in the 16th centuryWhy Wales's cultural identity and the conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism shaped different attitudes toward folk practicesThe connection between historical witch trials and modern medical misogyny, political rhetoric weaponizing "witch," and systemic violence against womenLinksBuy the book: Witsh by Mari Ellis Dunning Guest Article: Gwen ferch Ellis: The first woman in Wales to be sentenced to death on charges of witchcraft

Before her execution, Governor John Winthrop Jr. treated Mary Barnes as a patient. He recorded her symptoms, prescribed medicines, and tracked the costs in his medical notebook. In 1663, she was executed for witchcraft in Hartford, Connecticut.This episode isn’t about the execution. It’s about fractured communities, failed institutions, and real people with lives that existed long before the gallows. It’s about what happens when a doctor’s patient becomes a community’s scapegoat, when churches wage war with themselves, and when the one leader who had stopped witch executions leaves town at the worst possible moment.Between 1647 and 1663, Connecticut hanged more people for witchcraft than any other New England colony. Then it became the first to implement legal protections that saved lives, twenty-nine years before Salem would erupt. Understanding that transformation requires understanding Hartford’s breaking point.Understanding how communities fracture, how institutions fail their people, and how fear finds convenient targets in those who don’t fit strict norms teaches us to recognize these patterns, whether in 1663 Hartford or anywhere scapegoating takes root.This is the story of what happened when a doctor’s patient became a witch. When religious anchors became battlegrounds. When neighbors turned on neighbors. And eventually, when a community chose differently.In May 2023, Connecticut officially absolved all 34 witch trial victims.The Thing About Witch Hunts examines historical witch trials and contemporary persecution patterns worldwide. Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack explore the context that makes scapegoating possible and how communities can choose differently.*End Witch Hunts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationLinksConnecticutwitchtrials.orgListen to more CT Witch Trials Podcast EpisodesBuy the Book: Before Salem: Witch Hunting in the Connecticut River Valley 1647-1663 What books should I read about the Connecticut Witch Trials? End Witch Hunts NonprofitSalem Witch Trials Daily Program

How did 19th century Maryland pro-slavery advocates weaponize witch trial narratives against Connecticut abolitionists? Returning guest Dr. Richard Ross III reveals a fabricated 1848 witch trial story designed to discredit Connecticut's anti-slavery movement following the Amistad U. S. Supreme Court case victory.This conversation explores the intersection of witch trial history and American slavery through the curious case of Juliana Cox, a completely fictional Connecticut witch whose story appeared in Maryland newspapers to embarrass Connecticut abolitionists. We consider how missing colonial documents created space for propaganda, examine the real Connecticut witch trials that were hidden for generations, and discuss how witch trial rhetoric became a political weapon in debates over slavery and abolition.Dr. Ross shares research on how the Wyllys family papers disappeared into private collections, why Connecticut's witch trial history remained largely unknown until the 20th century, and the deliberate creation of a witch trial hoax borrowed from English folklore sources to serve pro-slavery political goals.Connecticut witch trial records and their disappearance into private collectionsThe Amistad trial and Connecticut abolitionist movementFabricated witch trial narratives as political propagandaHow pro-slavery advocates compared abolitionists to Salem witch trial accusersThe real witch trials of colonial Connecticut finally documentedAlice Young: Connecticut's first executed witchExamining bodies for witch marks in colonial New EnglandLiterary and political uses of witch trial rhetoric in 19th century AmericaDr. Richard Ross III is a historian and Professor Emeritus from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he taught a seminar on New England witch trials for over ten years. He is the author of Before Salem: Witch Hunting in the Connecticut River Valley, 1647-1663 and has conducted extensive research on colonial Connecticut witch trials and 19th century American social history.Connecticut witch trials, slavery and witchcraft, Amistad trial, abolition movement, colonial Connecticut, witch trial propaganda, Richard Ross historian, Alice Young witch trial, Connecticut abolitionists, slavery history, colonial New England, witch trial records, 19th century America, anti-slavery movement, political propaganda, witch hunt history, Maryland newspapersThe Thing About Witch Hunts explores historical witch trials and contemporary witch persecution worldwide. Hosted by End Witch Hunts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Sarah Jack.LinksConnecticutwitchtrials.orgBuy the Book: Before Salem: Witch Hunting in the Connecticut River Valley 1647-1663 Buy the Book: Contagion in Prussia, 1831 Buy the Book: American Body Snatchers End Witch Hunts NonprofitSalem Witch Trials Daily Program

Historian Mary W. Craig returns to discuss her new book, *A History of Scottish Witches: The Devil’s Handmaidens, which traces the arc from the 1563 Witchcraft Act through its abolition in 1736.Craig explores how beliefs that had existed for generations became capital crimes, examining the theological frameworks, political upheavals, and social structures that shaped prosecutions. The conversation moves from John Knox’s influence on Scottish law to the chaos of 1661-62, when local courts abandoned proper procedures.Drawing on trial records and historical documents, Craig discusses who was accused, how interrogations were conducted, and why the trauma made Scottish descendants harder to trace than their New England counterparts. She also reflects on what medieval Scottish communities believed before the Reformation and how those beliefs were reinterpreted.*A History of Scottish Witches* will be available February 2025 from Pen and Sword Books and is now available for pre-order.**Keywords:** Scottish witch trials, Mary W. Craig, Scottish history, 1563 Witchcraft Act, Reformation Scotland, historical research, witch trial records, social history, legal history Scotland​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​LinksBuy the Book: A History of Scottish Witches: The Devil's Handmaidens Buy the Book: A Brief History of Time by Stephen HawkingBuy the Book: The Hammer of Witches Mary W. Craig cohosts the podcast "Borders Bletherings" MaryW.Craig.comEnd Witch Hunts NonprofitSalem Witch Trials Daily Program

Episode OverviewClinical health psychologist Peter Mintir Amadu explains the hidden mental health emergency affecting nearly 500 women accused of witchcraft in Northern Ghana and the innovative model transforming their lives.Women accused of witchcraft face a devastating reality: up to 90% suffer from severe depression, PTSD rates exceed 80%, and many live in camps for over 20 years. They've lost everything: family, livelihood, dignity, and hope.But mental health support alone isn't enough. As one survivor told Amadu: "I can sleep now, but when I wake up, I'm hungry. What happens to me?"Initiatives that combine mental health intervention with economic empowerment, creating sustainable change through advocacy, rehabilitation, therapy, livelihood training, and community engagement is being explored. This locally-developed model addresses both psychological trauma and practical survival needs.Ghana faces a 98% mental health treatment gap with fewer than 200 psychologists for 30+ million people. Yet TOLEC is proving that culturally-grounded, resource-conscious solutions can work, from teletherapy programs to training religious leaders as mental health advocates.TOLEC's work extends to prison mental health, maternal psychological care, youth substance abuse prevention, and school-based interventions, all driven by data and local innovation.International collaboration opportunities exist in capacity building, research partnerships, digital health technology, and advocacy. The model is ready to scale. What's needed is global support for local expertise.For organizations seeking meaningful partnerships in African mental health innovation, culturally-responsive trauma care, or women's empowerment initiatives.Keywords: mental health innovation Africa, witchcraft accusations Ghana, trauma-informed development, sustainable mental health programs, international mental health partnerships, women's rights Ghana, community psychology, teletherapy developing countries#MentalHealthInnovation #GlobalMentalHealth #WomensEmpowerment #AfricanSolutions #EndWitchcraftAccusations #TraumaCareLinksTotal Life Enhancement Center, GhanaAmnesty International, GhanaEnd Witch HuntsWhy Witch Hunts are not just a Dark Chapter from the PastINAWARAInternational Alliance to End Witch Hunts

What is folklore and how does it connect to witch hunts? Join us for an author talk with Professor Owen Davies and Dr. Ceri Houlbrook from the University of Hertfordshire, discussing their new book Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present. Discover how folklore shapes our daily lives, from cheese rolling traditions to social media rumors.Episode Highlights:• Folklore definition and what folklore actually means today• British folklore traditions and American folklore customs explored• How folklore practices became legal evidence in Salem witch trials• The three types of British witches: conflict witches, accidental witches, and outcast witches• Folk devils versus theological devils in witch hunt history• Spectral evidence, pricking tests, touch tests, and folk magic in historical witch accusations• Why debunked theories like the ergot explanation persist in popular culture• How contemporary folklore evolves through podcasts and social media• The ritual year framework and material culture in folklore studies• Magical thinking and supernatural beliefs across cultures• How folklore cycles between revival and declineWhether you’re studying folklore definition, researching folklore examples, or interested in folklore and popular culture, this author talk explores how folklore studies reveals patterns in human behavior across time.Pick up Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present at https://bookshop.org/shop/endwitchhunts to support our work and explore opportunities to study folklore at the University of Hertfordshire’s MA folklore program.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​LinksBuy Book: Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch HuntsThe Thing About Salem website

Enjoy this  in-depth author interview with New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Kent. Kathleen opens up about her writing process, her journey from aspiring writer to published novelist, and the craft behind transforming family history into compelling historical fiction.Kathleen's debut novel, The Heretic's Daughter, tells the story of her ancestor Martha Carrier, who was executed during the Salem Witch Trials on August 19, 1692. Martha was from Andover, the town with the most accused witches was blamed for a smallpox epidemic that killed 13 people. Even when her children were tortured into confessing against her, Martha refused to admit to crimes she didn't commit.This episode offers invaluable insights for aspiring novelists and historical fiction writers, covering everything from research techniques to finding your voice as a writer. Whether you're working on your first novel or looking to deepen your craft, Kathleen's experience and teaching expertise provide practical guidance for writers at every level.Kathleen Kent is a New York Times bestselling author and member of the Texas Institute of Letters. Her novels include:The Heretic's Daughter (David J. Langum Sr. Award for American Historical Fiction, Will Rogers Medallion Award)The Traitor's WifeThe Outcasts (American Library Association "Top Pick" for Historical Fiction)The Dime, The Burn, and The Pledge (Edgar Award-nominated crime trilogy)Black WolfKathleen teaches writing workshops and has worked with Texas Writes to mentor aspiring authors.Kathleen's journey from aspiring writer to published authorThe writing process behind The Heretic's DaughterResearch techniques for historical fiction writersHow to balance historical accuracy with storytellingFinding and developing your unique voice as a writerWorking with family history and sensitive historical materialNavigating the publishing processTeaching writing and what aspiring novelists need to knowTransitioning between historical fiction and crime fiction genresMartha Carrier's powerful story of resistanceThe Andover witch trials and why this town had the most accusationsThe 1690 smallpox epidemic and its connection to witch accusationsHow children were tortured into testifying against their parentsCotton Mather's role in documenting the trialsThe legacy of Salem Witch Trials victimshistorical fiction writing, Kathleen Kent, The Heretic's Daughter, writing process, aspiring novelists, Salem Witch Trials, Martha Carrier, Andover witch trials, writing advice, author interview, historical research, novel writing, writing workshops, craft of writing, historical fiction authors, publishing advice#WritingCommunity #HistoricalFiction #AuthorInterview #WritingAdvice #KathleenKent #SalemWitchTrials #NovelWriting #WritingPodcastLinksKathleen Kent WebsitePurchase the novel: The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen KentSupport our Podcast by purchasing books through our affiliate link to End Witch Hunts BookshopThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch HuntsThe Thing About Salem website

Is The Witch of Blackbird Pond historical fact or beloved fiction? Museum educators Martha Smart and Gillie Johnson from the Wethersfield Historical Society pull back the curtain on Elizabeth George Speare's classic novel by revealing what she got right and what she invented. This episode demonstrates why Connecticut's real witch trials deserve more attention than they've gotten.Discover the true story of Katherine Harrison, whose 1669 witch trial revealed the dangerous reality for independent women in Puritan Connecticut. Learn why Gershom Bulkeley, a real historical figure who appears in the novel helped end witch executions in Connecticut by declaring he'd seen no legally proven case of witchcraft. From the Charter Oak legend to the history of slavery in colonial Connecticut, this conversation goes far beyond the novel to explore what life was really like in 1680s Wethersfield and whose stories have been left out of the history books.The real Katherine Harrison witch trial and how it differed from the novel's dramatic courtroom sceneWhy Connecticut's witch trials ended decades before Salem's panic beganHow The Witch of Blackbird Pond has shaped—and sometimes distorted—Wethersfield's historical identityWhat Elizabeth George Speare got wrong about Puritan social customs, trade, and the treatment of outsidersThe truth behind the Charter Oak legend and Connecticut's resistance to British ruleMartha Smart - Research and Reference Librarian, Wethersfield Historical SocietyGillie Johnson - Museum Educator, Wethersfield Historical SocietyLearn more at wethersfieldhistory.org, where you can explore their database of people of color in Wethersfield's history.Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Connecticut's colonial-era witch trials, including the 1669 case of Katherine Harrison in Wethersfield, form an important part of the state's historical narrative, though they remain less widely recognized than their Salem counterparts.LinksWethersfieldhistory.orgWebb Deane Stevens MuseumPurchase the book: The Witch of Blackbird Pond from our nonprofit bookshopConnecticut Witch Trial HistoryEnd Witch Hunts Nonprofit

In this episode, Josh and Sarah speak with the creative team behind "The Witch of Woodbury," a theatrical production at Connecticut's Glebe House Museum that brings 17th-century witch trial victims to life through performance.Featured Guests:Linda Barr-Gale - Actress portraying Moll Cramer for 13 years and production writerLoriann Witte - Director of Glebe House Museum, portraying Rebecca GreensmithMaribeth Cummings - Actress portraying Katherine Harrison for 5 yearsVail Barrett - Actor portraying accuser Thomas AllynKey Topics:The legend of Moll Cramer, the "Witch of Woodbury" who was banished to Tophet RoadConnecticut's witch trial history from 1647-1663, including 11 executionsHow Governor John Winthrop Jr. transformed Connecticut's approach to witchcraft accusationsAccused Witch Katherine Harrison's well-documented case and its role in changing spectral evidence standardsExecuted woman Rebecca Greensmith's role in the Hartford Witch Panic of 1662The perspective of accusers like Thomas Allyn and the climate of fear in colonial ConnecticutUsing theatrical performance to make history accessible and memorable for modern audiencesHistorical Context: The performance emphasizes the stark differences between Connecticut's evolving legal standards under Winthrop and the later Salem trials.Learn More:Glebe House MuseumConnecticut Witch Trial HistoryEnd Witch Hunts Nonprofit

Episode Description:Just saw Wicked: For Good (Wicked Part 2) and wondering what it all means? The sequel to 2024's blockbuster Wicked movie starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande delivers the pure magic and joy of Wicked's fairytale storytelling while also serving as a mirror reflecting our world's darkest patterns of persecution. Join hosts Sarah Jack and Josh Hutchinson for a spoiler-filled celebration of this magical film as they explore both the enchantment of the story and the surprisingly relevant themes hiding behind flying monkeys, sparkly shoes, and that iconic green skin.From Gregory Maguire's beloved novel to the Broadway phenomenon with music by Stephen Schwartz, Wicked has captured hearts worldwide. This sequel delivers stunning musical numbers, an enchanting fairytale ending, and America's greatest modern fairy story—while also offering profound insights about our world. Discover why Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Dorothy, and the Wizard of Oz create a story that's both entertainment magic and meaningful social commentary.From the breathtaking songs like "For Good" to the animals in cages vault scene that's impossible to look away from, this episode explores how the Wicked movie with Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum delights audiences while helping us understand who gets labeled "wicked"—and who decides.What You'll Explore:The pure magic and joy of Wicked's fairytale storytellingStandout musical moments and how the Broadway songs translate to filmThe chilling parallels between Oz's animal persecution and real-world witch huntsElphaba and Glinda's friendship, sisterhood, and the choices that change everythingWhy the treatment of talking animals in Oz mirrors modern oppressionHow Dorothy's witch hunt against Elphaba reflects real accusation patternsWhy Nessarose, Boq, and Fiyero's transformations matter for understanding persecutionHow the word "witch" is weaponized as a political tool todayWhether movies like Wicked help or harm the fight against modern persecutionDeep dive into Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba and Ariana Grande's GlindaThis is the next installment in our ongoing look at Wicked and Oz! If you haven't already, be sure to check out our previous episodes "Witchcraft and Stagecraft: Unmasking Wicked's Magic with Paul Laird and Jane Barnette" and "Wicked Movie: The Making of a Witch" to explore how this beloved story connects to real witch trial history and contemporary persecution.Content Warning: This episode includes movie spoilers and discusses themes of persecution, banishment, and contemporary witch hunts affecting millions globally.Ready to see beyond the emerald curtain? This isn't your childhood Oz anymore—and that's exactly the point. But it's also a wicked good time.For more information about ending witch hunts or to get involved, visit EndWitchHunts.orgKeywords: Wicked For Good, Wicked Part 2, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Dorothy, Wizard of Oz, animals in Oz, Wicked sequel, Broadway musical, Stephen Schwartz, Gregory Maguire, Wicked songs, For Good, Wicked movie explained, witch hunts, Wicked themes, Wicked analysisLinksWatch Episode: Witchcraft and Stagecraft: Unmasking Wicked’s Magic with Paul Laird and Jane BarnetteWatch Episode: Wicked Movie: The Making of a WitchWatch Episode: Ghana’s Outcast Camps: A Conversation with the Coalition Against Witchcraft Accusations Sign the Amnesty International Petition for Ghana Anti Witchcraft Legislation Support our Nonprofit: Buy an Oz bookSign the Massachusetts Exoneration Petition

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 the village to pull in a prominent Bostonian with impeccable colonial credentials? This episode examines how Captain Alden's examination revealed the absurdity and danger of the spectral evidence system and how his escape became one of the trial period's most dramatic moments.From his parents' legendary Plymouth courtship to his own flight from justice, Captain Alden's story shows us who could be accused, who could survive, and what it took to navigate Salem's machinery of suspicion.Episode Highlights:John Alden Sr. and Priscilla: The last surviving Mayflower passenger and the marriage that inspired LongfellowCaptain Alden's controversial fur trading and the rumors that made him a targetThe chaotic May 31st examination where accusers needed promptingThe touch test, the sword, and the claims of "Indian Papooses"His September escape to Duxbury and surprising returnKey Figures: Captain John Alden Jr., John & Priscilla Alden, Judges Bartholomew Gedney and John Richards, Rev. Samuel Willard, Robert CalefThe Thing About Salem examines the people, places, and events of the 1692 Salem witch trials. New episodes weekly.LinksThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch HuntsThe Thing About Salem website

Episode Description:Massachusetts has an opportunity to make history, and you can be a part of it. On November 25, 2025, Bill H.1927 goes before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary. This legislation will exonerate 8 individuals convicted of witchcraft in Boston and recognize everyone else who suffered accusations across Massachusetts. Between 1648 and 1693, more than 200 people were formally charged with witchcraft in Massachusetts. Only 31 from Salem have been cleared. The rest have been forgotten—until now.Co-hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack, who helped co-found the Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project and successfully passed Connecticut's witch trial absolution bill in 2023, share how YOU can help Massachusetts finish the job.What You'll Learn in This Episode:The 8 individuals convicted in Boston who have never been exonerated: Margaret Jones, Elizabeth Kendall, Alice Lake, Hugh Parsons, Eunice Cole, Ann Hibbins, Elizabeth Morse, and Goody GloverWhy this matters today: Witch hunts didn't end in the 1600s—they're still happening around the worldThe history of Massachusetts exoneration efforts from 1703 to 2022How Connecticut proved it's possible with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2023Exactly what you can do to support H.1927, whether you live in Massachusetts or anywhere else in the worldKey Facts:200+ individuals were accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts between 1638 and 169338 people were convicted (30 in Salem, 8 in Boston)25 people died: 19 hanged in Salem, 5 hanged in Boston, and Giles Corey pressed to deathOnly Salem victims have been exonerated—the 8 Boston convictions remain unaddressedThe Boston Eight:Five Executed:Margaret Jones (1648) - The first person executed for witchcraft in MassachusettsElizabeth Kendall (1647-1651) - Falsely accused by a nurse covering her own negligenceAlice Lake (c. 1650) - Mother of four, judged for her pastAnn Hibbins (1656) - A widow, called "quarrelsome" for speaking her mindGoody Glover (1688) - Irish Catholic widow executed just 4 years before SalemThree Convicted But Not Executed:Hugh Parsons (1651) - Conviction overturned, released 1652Eunice Cole (likely 1656) - Convicted and imprisoned, though records are incompleteElizabeth Morse (1680) - Sentenced to death but eventually releasedCRITICAL DATE: November 25, 2025The Joint Committee on the Judiciary holds a hearing on H.1927 at 10:00 AMThis bill MUST get through committee to move forward. If it doesn't receive a favorable report, it gets sent to "study" where it becomes invisible and inactive.How YOU Can Help RIGHT NOW:1. Sign the Petition (From Anywhere in the World)change.org/witchtrials Goal: 3,000+ signaturesKeep it short: 2-6 sentences is enough! Include:Why this bill matters to youThat these people were innocentWhy Massachusetts should complete its exoneration workConnection to modern witch hunts (optional)2. Submit Written Testimony (From Anywhere in the World)Where to submit: Details at massachusettswitchtrials.org3. Contact Your Massachusetts Legislators (MA Residents)Email your state representative and senatorAsk them to support H.1927Ask them to co-sponsor the billTell them: "Massachusetts exonerated the Salem victims but left the Boston victims behind. Please honor all witch trial victims."4. Spread the WordShare this episode and use hashtags:#H1927#WitchTrialJustice#MassachusettsHistory#mawitchhuntjusticeproject#EndWitchHunts5. Get a Support PinPurchase the Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project pin on Zazzle (under $5) Link in show notes and at massachusettswitchtrials.orgSign the Petition to Exonerate the Boston 8The History of Witch Trial Exonerations in MassachusettsAbout the MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectPurchase a MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Memorial Pin

Tune in for this informative virtual panel discussion bringing together three of the world's leading experts on witchcraft accusations and ritual violence. This free online event, co-hosted by End Witch Hunts and featuring speakers from INAWARA (International Network Against Witchcraft Accusations and Ritual Attacks), addresses one of the most pressing yet under-recognized human rights crises of our time.Professor Charlotte Baker – Co-Director of INAWARA and Professor at Lancaster University (UK).  Professor Miranda Forsyth – Co-Director of INAWARA and Professor at Australian National University's School of Regulation and Global Governance. Dr. Keith Silika – Criminal investigator, lecturer, and human rights advocate bridging criminology, forensics, and cultural understanding. What You'll LearnThis panel discussion explores why international collaboration is essential to combating witchcraft accusations and ritual violence across the globe. Our distinguished panelists will discuss:Global research and coordination: How INAWARA unites experts, practitioners, advocates, and survivors from around the world to share knowledge and develop evidence-based interventionsThe new legislative report: Key findings from the June 2025 report, Legislative Approaches to Addressing Harmful Practices Related to Witchcraft Accusations and Ritual AttacksCross-border strategies: Why connecting researchers, NGOs, legal professionals, and community advocates across borders has significant value and creates more effective solutionsChallenges and progress: Real-world obstacles faced by communities worldwide and successful approaches to protection and preventionAdvocacy and policy reform: How research translates into legal protections and policy changes at local, national, and international levelsCommunity protection: Grassroots education and support systems that help vulnerable populations resist witch-hunt violenceINAWARA (International Network Against Witchcraft Accusations and Ritual Attacks) is a global network that connects experts, practitioners, advocates, and survivors from every continent. By fostering international collaboration and supporting evidence-based interventions, INAWARA works to end witch hunts, witchcraft accusations, and ritual attacks wherever they occur.Witchcraft accusations continue to drive violence, discrimination, and human rights abuses across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, and beyond. Victims are often women, children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. They face torture, exile, property seizure, and death. This panel discussion highlights the power of global cooperation in addressing this crisis and protecting the most vulnerable among us.🌐 End Witch Hunts: endwitchhunts.org 🌐 INAWARA: theinternationalnetwork.orgThe International Network (INAWARA) Global Report: Legislative approaches to addressing harmful practices related to witchcraft accusations and ritual attacksUnited Nations Human Rights Council Resolution 47/8Study on the situation of the violations and abuses of human rights rooted in harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks, as well as stigmatizationINARAWA Conference Clip:Implementing UN Resolution 47/8 - 2nd International ConferencePodcast Episode: Forensics, Witchcraft Accusations, and Ritual Murders with Dr. Keith SilikaPodcast Episode: Ending Sorcery Accusation-Related Violence with Miranda ForsythPodcast Episode: Amnesty International on Ghana’s Outcast Camps: A Conversation with the Coalition Against Witchcraft AccusationsBirubala Rabha: A life of chasing witch huntersSorcery National Action PlanFighting the Wildfire of SARVWitchcraft Beliefs Around the World: An Exploratory Analysiswww.stop-cwa.orgAdvocacy for Alleged Witches, NigeriaAdvocacy Against Witch Hunts, South Africa International Alliance to End Witch HuntsWhy Witch Hunts are not just a Dark Chapter from the Past African Witchfinder Documentary 2018

Why do witchcraft accusations persist in modern India, and how do gender and caste inequalities fuel this cycle of violence despite legal protections?Join Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack for a powerful conversation with  Bharvi Shahi, currently pursuing her LL.M. at Christ University, Bengaluru, and Razina Ahmed, Assistant Professor of Law at the School of Law, Presidency University, Bengaluru about from their research work in Northeast India's tribal communities and international human rights law.they explore the complex intersection of belief, tradition, and human rights violations in Northeast India's tribal communities related to witchcraft accusations.What You'll Learn:Understand the critical difference between cultural beliefs and harmful practices under international human rights law. Explore how accusations emerge within community structures when illness or misfortune strikes and medical care is inaccessible. Learn why India's state-level witchcraft laws face massive implementation challenges, and discover the reality of witch-hunt victim communities living in isolation. Our guests reveal how patriarchal structures weaponize supernatural accusations to control and exclude women.Razina Ahmed shares firsthand research challenges, including the startling moment an NGO declined to help her visit a village of survivors, revealing how deeply stigma affects even those working in advocacy. Bharvi Shahi examines how freedom of belief becomes weaponized against the most vulnerable: widows, elderly women, and those with disabilities. This episode reveals how community fear, social isolation, and supernatural accusations create complexities that legal protections alone cannot resolveKeywords: witch hunts India, tribal communities Northeast India, witchcraft accusations, gender-based violence, human rights violations India, superstition and law, vulnerable women, Assam tribal communities, Implementing Human rights, belief vs harmful practicesLinksMore Podcast Episodes Discussing Witchcraft Accusations in IndiaSign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Join One of Our ProjectsThe Thing About Salem PodcastBuy Books in Support of End Witch Hunts NonprofitBirubala Rabha: A life of chasing witch hunters

Playwright Laurie Flanigan-Hegge, two directors, and a puppet artist discuss staging "Prick," a play about Scottish witch trials, now opening in Chicago November 6-16. In August 2023, we spoke with playwright Laurie Flanigan-Hegge about Prick, her play about the Scottish witch trials. It had just premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.Two years later, the play has traveled to New Orleans, Wellington (New Zealand), and opens November 6-16, 2025 at the Den Theater in Chicago.We reunite with Laurie and puppet artist Madeline Helling, and meet two directors: Jeff Mills of Chicago's Proboscis Theater Company and Amy Chaffee from Tulane University.The conversation covers what it's like staging historical violence, why the single puppet design works so powerfully, and how a play about 17th-century Scotland keeps finding new relevance.About the PlayPrick examines the Scottish witch trials through three women: an Unknown Woman lost to history, Marioun Twedy of Peebles, and Isobel Gowdie. The title refers to "pricking"—searching accused women's bodies for the "devil's mark" with sharp instruments.The play moves between past and present, uses dark humor and Scottish folk music, and centers on a single haunting puppet created by Madeline Helling.What They DiscussThe rehearsal process: Both directors talk about the challenge of staging the pricking scenes, even with a puppet. Jeff's Chicago cast continues working through how to show violence respectfully. Amy's New Orleans students couldn't bring the instrument near the puppet—they performed the gesture from twelve feet away.The puppet's power: Madeline designed one puppet to represent all the accused women. It's specific enough to feel real, neutral enough that audiences project onto it. The puppet travels between productions and comes back to her for repairs.Contemporary connections: The play addresses ongoing witch hunts in countries where witchcraft remains a state crime. Amy teaches in Louisiana and discusses working in a politically charged environment. Jeff talks about theater as "rehumanization" in response to current dehumanization.The music: Both productions use songs by Heal and Harrow, a folk duo who created an album for the Witches of Scotland Campaign. Jeff adds Scottish guitar with electronics. Amy's students performed acapella arrangements.Cultural complications: Amy reflects on taking the play to Wellington, New Zealand—a colonial capital—at a conference focused on integrating Māori culture with acting and voice techniques. The play deals with Scotland as both colonized and colonizer, which created complex responses from audiences of different backgrounds."Remembrance Is Resistance"This Witches of Scotland Campaign motto runs through the conversation. The campaign seeks pardons and memorials for nearly 5,000 documented accused. They created a tartan anyone can wear to show support.At Tulane, one student built a monument inscribed with every name from the database and installed it in the lobby.Chicago ProductionNovember 6-16, 2025 The Den Theater, Milwaukee Avenue Tickets: thedentheatre.com (search "Prick")Two weekends only. Proboscis Theater Company's production features new jackdaw puppets and is reaching out to both theater audiences and Chicago's pagan communities.LinksGet Tickets to the Chicago Production at the Den Theatrewww.healandharrow.comNational Archives, Scotland, Early Modern Witch TrialsPrick: A Play of the Scottish Witch Trials Podcast EpisodeSign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Join One of Our ProjectsThe Thing About Salem Podcast

Episode DescriptionWhat do vampires, werewolves, and dragons tell us about ourselves? In this fascinating exploration of monsters in culture and society, we dive deep into why humanity has always been obsessed with creatures that go bump in the night.From the etymology of "monster" (Latin "monstrum" - to warn or demonstrate) to modern cryptids and creepypastas, discover how these frightening figures serve as mirrors reflecting our deepest fears, repressed desires, and cultural anxieties. Learn why monsters aren't just entertainment—they're essential tools for processing trauma, establishing moral boundaries, and creating social cohesion. We'll also examine the dangerous consequences of labeling real humans as monsters—and why this rhetoric prevents understanding, distances us from accountability, and can lead to dehumanization and violence.Key Topics CoveredThe Nature of MonstersWhat defines a monster and the true meaning behind the wordCategories: supernatural beings, humanoid creatures, the undead, cryptids, and human monstersWhy witches became one of history's most enduring monster figuresThe Psychology of FearHow monsters reflect our fear of ourselvesThe intersection of monsters with our anxieties, values, and hopesWhy we're drawn to "delicious fear" in safe contextsCultural Function of MonstersMonsters as warnings that prefigure societal problemsHow monster stories help us handle trauma and explore taboosThe role of monsters in teaching moral boundaries and creating in-groupsThe Danger of Labeling Humans as MonstersWhy dehumanization prevents understandingHow calling people "monsters" distances us from accountabilityThe real-world consequences of monster rhetoricWinning Against MonstersClassic tactics: hunting, outwitting, finding weaknessesThe power of team-ups, protective magic, and courageWhy we need triumph stories to overcome our fearsEpisode Highlights✨ Monsters are cultural constructs that serve as societal mirrors 🧠 Understanding the Latin roots: "to show," "to warn," "to demonstrate" ⚠️ The problem with labeling real people as monsters 💪 How monster stories ultimately help us find courage and triumphEpisode Highlights✨ Monsters are cultural constructs that serve as societal mirrors 🧠 Understanding the Latin roots: "to show," "to warn," "to demonstrate" ⚠️ The problem with labeling real people as monsters 💪 How monster stories ultimately help us find courage and triumphKeywordsmonsters, cultural anthropology, folklore, mythology, psychology of fear, cryptids, supernatural beings, werewolves, vampires, social cohesion, moral boundaries, dehumanization, monster stories, horror culture, cultural fears, societal anxieties, creepypasta, witches in historyConnect With UsHave your own thoughts on what monsters reveal about society? Share your perspective and join the conversation!#Monsters #Folklore #CulturalStudies #Psychology #Horror #Mythology #PodcastLinksPlay the Episode: Ain't Slender Man Scary with Sean & Carrie Ain't It Scary With Sean and Carrie Podcast Sign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Join One of Our ProjectsThe Thing About Salem Podcast

What makes a monster? In this spine-tingling episode, Josh and Sarah welcome back fellow podcasters Sean and Carrie from the hit show Ain't it Scary with Sean and Carrie to explore one of the internet's most notorious creations: Slender Man.From creepypasta legend to real-world tragedy, discover how this faceless, tentacled entity became modern folklore and what it reveals about our relationship with monsters. Four podcasters who love things that go bump in the night dive deep into digital horror, viral legends, and—because it's The Thing About Witch Hunts—somehow end up discussing the Salem witch trials.Whether you run toward mysterious figures in the woods or away from them, this episode will make you question why we create monsters and what happens when fictional nightmares bleed into reality.Episode Highlights🎃 What is Slender Man? - The origins of the internet's most infamous boogeyman 👻 Creepypasta to Crisis - How digital folklore goes viral in the modern age 🕯️ Monster Theory - Why do we need monsters? Why do we treat humans as monsters? 🔮 Salem Connections - The unexpected link between witch hunts and modern monster-making 🎙️ Skeptic Meets Spooky - Sean and Carrie return with their signature perspectives on the paranormalAbout Our Returning GuestsSean & Carrie host Ain't it Scary with Sean and Carrie, where a skeptic and a believer explore the unknown, unsolved, unbelievable, and just plain weird. With their passion for history and uncovering truth, they bring complementary perspectives to every mystery they tackle.KeywordsSlender Man, creepypasta, digital folklore, internet legends, monsters, witch hunts, Salem witch trials, paranormal podcast, horror podcast, Ain't it Scary, folklore, urban legends, monster theory, viral horror, true crimeListen & SubscribeDon't wander off the path—subscribe to The Thing About Witch Hunts and join us every episode as we explore the monsters, myths, and witch hunts throughout history.Also check out: Ain't it Scary with Sean and Carrie wherever you listen to podcasts!Keep the porch light on. 🎃LinksAin't It Scary With Sean and Carrie Podcast Sign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectJoin One of Our ProjectsThe Thing About Salem Podcast

Dr. Richard Raiswell, Dr. David Winter, and Dr. Mikki Brock—co-editors of The Routledge History of the Devil in the Western Tradition explore the devil's complex history, from his biblical origins to his evolution through Western culture. Discover how the devil has been weaponized to demonize marginalized groups throughout history and examine his surprising presence in contemporary society.The devil's backstory and biblical originsHow the devil's image transformed across different historical periodsThe dark history of demonization and scapegoatingThe devil's role in witch hunts and persecutionModern manifestations of devil imagery and symbolismExpert insights from the comprehensive Routledge History collectionDr. Richard RaiswellDr. David Winter - Dr. Mikki Brock - Key Topics CoveredDevil mythology and theologyHistorical persecution and witch huntsCultural representations of evilThe devil in Western traditionReligious history and demonologySocial scapegoating through historyThe Routledge History of the Devil in the Western Tradition features contributions from 30 scholars, offering the most comprehensive examination of the devil's role in Western culture and history.Subscribe to The Thing About Witch Hunts for more deep dives into the fascinating intersection of history, culture, and belief.#WitchHunts #DevilHistory #HistoryPodcast #Demonology #ReligiousHistory #CulturalHistoryLinksBuy the book "The Routledge History of the Devil in the Western Tradition" Halloween Episodes on The Thing About Witch Hunts PodcastsThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch HuntsSupport the nonprofit End Witch Hunts Podcasts and Projects

This October, we're diving into the fascinating story of Margaret Jones—the first woman tried for witchcraft in Massachusetts—through Andrea Catalano's debut novel The First Witch of Boston. Josh and Sarah explore this gripping historical fiction that sheds light on a witch trial that happened decades before Salem, in 1648. Discover why this lesser-known story deserves your attention and hear from the author herself about bringing Margaret Jones's tale to life.October Witchcraft Season: Josh and Sarah kick off the spookiest month with increased witchcraft contentPre-Salem History: Learn about Massachusetts witch trials that occurred 44 years before the famous Salem trialsMargaret Jones's Story: The 1648 execution that changed colonial historyAuthor Interview: Exclusive conversation with debut novelist Andrea CatalanoChart-Topping Success: How this historical fiction novel reached the top of Amazon chartsHistorical Accuracy Meets Fiction: Why Margaret Jones's story was "ripe for telling"First Massachusetts witch trial (1648)Margaret Jones executionPre-Salem witchcraft persecutionColonial Boston historyHistorical fiction as a vehicle for forgotten women's storiesAndrea Catalano's research and writing processThe First Witch of Boston by Andrea CatalanoGenre: Historical FictionSubject: Margaret Jones, executed for witchcraft in 1648Amazon bestseller with positive critical receptionIf you're interested in:Witch trial history beyond SalemColonial American historyWomen's forgotten storiesHistorical fictionOctober/Halloween contentWitchcraft historyWitch trials, Massachusetts history, Salem witch trials, Margaret Jones, 1648, colonial America, witchcraft history, historical fiction, Andrea Catalano, The First Witch of Boston, Boston history, pre-Salem witch hunts, Halloween podcast, October episodes, women's history, forgotten historyJoin Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack every week for your dose of witchcraft history. Subscribe to The Thing About Witch Hunts for more fascinating stories about persecution, superstition, and the women who were accused.Perfect listening for October, Halloween season, or anytime you want to explore the darker corners of American colonial history.⁠Buy the book: The Last Witch of Boston, Andrea Catalano⁠Buy the book with John Winthrop transcriptions on Margaret Jones: Witch Hunting in 17th Century New England by  David D. HallHalloween Episodes on The Thing About Witch Hunts PodcastsThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch HuntsSupport the nonprofit End Witch Hunts Podcasts and Projects

Why This Crossover?Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack are featuring The Thing About Salem podcast on The Thing About Witch Hunts podcast to introduce our listeners to our companion 15 minute sized episode podcast! Both shows are produced by the End Witch Hunts nonprofit, and we want to make sure you don't miss out on the incredible stories we're telling about Salem's witch trials. This crossover episode gives Thing About Witch Hunts listeners a taste of the detailed historical storytelling you'll find over on The Thing About Salem.What if the Salem witch trials could have been prevented? In this compelling crossover episode, we examine the critical turning points between January 1692 and May 1693 when different decisions could have stopped America's most notorious witch hunt in its tracks.From the arrest of four-year-old Dorothy Good to Martha Carrier's infamous designation as "Queen of Hell," we explore how a series of escalating choices transformed a local Massachusetts crisis into colonial America's deadliest legal disaster.Historical Turning PointsCritical moments when the Salem witch trials could have been haltedThe shocking case of Dorothy Good, the youngest accused witchHow local accusations spiraled into regional hysteriaKey Historical FiguresCotton Mather and his contradictory influence on the trialsGovernor William Phips and his delayed interventionMartha Carrier and her notorious title as "Queen of Hell"The role of judges, ministers, and community leadersGeographic SpreadSalem Village and Salem Town dynamicsHow 45 Andover residents became entangled in accusationsThe regional impact across Massachusetts Bay ColonyLegal and Social AnalysisSpectral evidence and its dangerous precedentCourt procedures that enabled the witch hunt's growthCommunity tensions that fueled the accusationsThis crossover episode reveals how a perfect storm of fear, superstition, and poor decision-making created one of America's darkest chapters. We examine the moments when cooler heads could have prevailed and the individuals who either fanned the flames or attempted to restore reason.The Salem witch trials (1692-1693) resulted in the execution of 20 people and the imprisonment of hundreds more. This episode explores the human decisions behind the historical tragedy and the lessons we can learn about mass hysteria, due process, and the importance of critical thinking in times of crisis.Colonial American historyLegal history and judicial reformSocial psychology and mass hysteriaWomen's history and gender dynamics in early AmericaReligious history and Puritan societyTrue crime and historical mysteriesSalem witch trials, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Cotton Mather, spectral evidence, Dorothy Good, Martha Carrier, Governor Phips, Andover witch trials, colonial America, Puritan society, mass hysteria, historical true crime, 1692 witch hunt, Salem Village, judicial historyJoin The Thing About Salem and The Thing About Witch Hunts for this special crossover episode exploring how different choices could have changed the course of American history.This episode contains historical content about persecution, execution, and legal proceedings from the 17th century. Listener discretion advised.Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

With his highly anticipated debut graphic novel "More Weight: A Salem Story" releasing, Massachusetts-born author Ben Wickey joins us for an exclusive pre-launch interview about this Alan Moore-praised "appalling masterpiece." The Edward Gorey Award-winning artist's first solo work tells the harrowing tale of Giles Corey, the only person pressed to death under stones during the infamous 1692 Salem Witch Trials.What makes this upcoming graphic novel release extraordinary? Beyond Wickey's stunning and unmatched visual storytelling that brings historical horror to visceral life, he is a descendant of Salem Witch Trial victim Mary Easty, bringing deeply personal perspective to this decade-long project that Publishers Weekly compared to "From Hell." We explore the pre-release excitement, Wickey's meticulous research using historical documents, and his innovative dual-timeline narrative featuring Nathaniel Hawthorne interludes. Using the graphic novel format, Wickey cuts through pop culture mythology to restore the genuine horror and humanity of Salem's history.Discover how Corey transformed from testifying against his wife Martha to defiantly uttering his final words "more weight," and why this Salem witch hunt story will captivate readers everywhere.#SalemWitchTrials #BenWickey #MoreWeight #GraphicNovel #HistoricalHorrorBuy the Graphic Novel "More Weight" Read the Alan Moore World Blog: Ben Wickey An Extraordinary Enchanter More Weight Preview Page on TopShelfComix.com Sign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Projectwww.massachusettswitchtrials.orgThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

Nearly 100 years after Salem, a German immigrant widow in Vermont faced trial by water ordeal for witchcraft. In 1785, Margaret Krieger was dropped through ice into the freezing Hoosick River—and survived.Guests:Joyce Held, Pownal Vermont Historical Society - researcher who uncovered Margaret's full storyJamie Franklin, Bennington Museum Curator - connected the trial to post-Revolutionary War political tensionsKey Points:Margaret Schumacher Krieger (1725-1790) married Johann Krieger in 1741, moved to frontier VermontAfter Johann's death in 1785, neighbors accused her of witchcraft to seize the family's mill and landRecent research suggests the family were Loyalists, adding political motivation to the accusationsMargaret was acquitted after surviving the water test and moved back to MassachusettsModern Legacy:Historical marker installed 2023 at Strobridge Recreation Park, North Pownal, VTAnnual Witches Walk commemorating "extraordinary women" - next event September 13, 2025Connect:Facebook: Pownal Historical SocietyWebsite: www.pownal.orgThis case reveals how witchcraft accusations often masked land disputes, cultural tensions, and political conflicts in post-Revolutionary America.LinksAmericans 1943: Realists and Magic-RealistsAP Article: Group seeks to clear names of all accused, convicted or executed for witchcraft in MASign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectPownal Historical Society on FacebookBennington Museum Special ExhibitsWatch: New England Legends: Ghosts and Witches  Season 2024 Episode 2The Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

Episode Summary: Jennifer Tozer, librarian at Pueblo Community College in Colorado, shares how she created "Witch Trials: Accusation to Exoneration" - a comprehensive month-long educational program running throughout October. When traditional museum exhibits weren't available, Jennifer built her own visual displays from scratch, featuring poster exhibits, author presentations, virtual tours with the Salem Witch Museum, and discussions connecting historical witch trials to modern-day accusations.For Educators: This episode offers practical inspiration for teachers looking to create engaging historical programming with limited budgets. Jennifer's approach demonstrates how to make distant history relevant to today's students while addressing misconceptions and encouraging critical thinking.Program Details: "Witch Trials: Accusation to Exoneration" runs throughout October at Pueblo Community College Library, featuring interactive exhibits, scavenger hunts, and community presentations.Perfect for history teachers, librarians, and educators interested in innovative programming that brings historical events to life for modern students.LinksBuy the book A Salem Witch by Dan A GagnonBuy the book The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen KentPueblo Community College's Humanities Newsletter with Witch Trials History Event DatesThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

On September 8 and 22, we are joining Dr. Emerson Baker for exciting virtual events hosted by Partnership of Historic Bostons.Visit Eventbrite to register for FREE:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-other-understanding-witch-hunts-part-i-tickets-1492284887269?aff=oddtdtcreatorOr visit the Partnership of Historic Bostons website for more information: https://historicbostons.org/upcomingeventsThe Other: Understanding Witch Hunts, Part I will begin Monday, September 8 at 7:00 PM Eastern.A second event, focusing on resistance to the Salem Witch-Hunt, will be held at the same time on September 22.Almost every culture across time and place has experienced witch hunts of one kind or another. Drawing upon the witch trials in Salem, Boston, and elsewhere in New England, renowned historian Emerson "Tad" Baker, together with guest moderators Sarah Jack and Josh Hutchinson, will explore the nature of witch hunts. Join a remarkable three-way conversation by some of the most knowledgeable and insightful observers of witch hunts, about the questions that persist more than 350 years after the 20 Salem executions.In this first of two eye-opening discussions, The Other explores why witch hunts happen and how they progress. Why are certain people accused? What characteristics did people like Tituba, Bridget Bishop, and Goody Glover have that made them targets rather than their neighbors? What set them off as "others"? How and why did Tituba’s accusation lead to more accusations, while Glover’s did not? What role did misinformation and rumor play in witch hunts? And, most puzzlingly, what motivated the accusers?Part 2: Resistance, on September 22, 7:00-8:30pm, will explore how people fought against accusations, at risk to themselves, and worked to end the witch hunts. How did family, friends and neighbors help defend the accused? What role did spiritual and political leaders play? How did families and communities heal from witch hunts, and prevent them from happening again? Above all, what gave these people, in the midst of increasing danger, the courage to resist?ABOUT THE SPEAKERSEmerson "Tad" Baker is a professor of history at Salem State University and has previously served as vice provost and dean. He is the award-winning author or co-author of six books on the history and archaeology of early New England, including A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience.His current book project explores the aftermath of the Salem witch trials. Baker has served as consultant and on-camera expert for documentaries and TV shows for networks ranging from PBS and the BBC to Smithsonian and TLC.Josh Hutchinson is a podcaster, writer, and advocate. As a descendant of people involved in New England witch trials, co-founder of End Witch Hunts, and creator of the podcasts The Thing About Witch Hunts and The Thing About Salem, Josh blends historical knowledge and modern activism in his work. Josh continues to shed light on historical injustices while advocating for the elimination of modern harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks.Sarah Jack, a descendant of colonial-era witch trial victims, is the founding executive director of the nonprofit End Witch Hunts. Based in Colorado, Sarah also hosts the podcasts The Thing About Witch Hunts and The Thing About Salem. She specializes in consulting and teaching about witch hunts, past and present, leveraging her extensive networks to bring these conversations to broader communities and platforms. Her work has been highlighted globally and featured in outlets including the New York Times and NPR.End Witch Hunts brings light to the true nature of witch trials and witch hunts through public education, advocacy, memorialization, and exoneration.

Guest: Dr. Martin Austin Nesvig Book: The Women Who Threw Corn: Witchcraft and Inquisition in 16th Century MexicoDr. Martin Austin Nesvig takes us into colonial Mexico's magical underground, where cultural exchange happened in kitchens between women of different backgrounds. This isn't your typical witch hunt story—Mexico never had mass executions or crazes. The Spanish Inquisition there was more interested in heretics than magical practitioners.But women still took risks. From enslaved women casting freedom spells to Spanish settlers experimenting with peyote (the first documented non-indigenous use), these stories reveal how people navigated colonial power and sought agency in their lives.You'll hear about love magic with personal ingredients and indigenous divination techniques. Plus the demographics of colonial Mexico City, where Spanish women were less than 20% of the population.This episode flips the expected colonial narrative—showing how native practices influenced the colonizers themselves. A story of adaptation, survival, and unexpected cultural blending.Hosts: Sarah Jack and Josh Hutchinson Also check out: The Thing About Salem (weekend podcast)Buy the Book: The Women Who Threw Corn by Martin Austin NesvigThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

What if history's most infamous witch hunt could have been stopped with just a few different decisions? We're examining the pivotal moments between January 1692 and May 1693 when someone—anyone—could have pumped the brakes on Salem's runaway train of accusations.From the shocking arrest of four-year-old Dorothy Good to Martha Carrier's unfortunate promotion to "Queen of Hell," we'll explore how escalating choices transformed a local crisis into colonial America's most notorious legal disaster. We'll meet the key players who either fanned the flames or tried to douse them—including Cotton Mather's mixed messages and Governor Phips' late-in-the-game reality check.Join us as we dissect the moments when cooler heads could have prevailed and discover how 45 residents of unlucky Andover got swept up in accusations that would make even the devil blush. Sometimes it takes a village—or several villages—to create a catastrophe.Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription ProjectMassachusetts Court of Oyer and Terminer Documents, ⁠The Salem Witch Trials Collection, Peabody Essex MuseumRecords of the Salem Witch-HuntThe Thing About Salem YouTube⁠The Thing About Salem Patreon⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts