The Salem Witch Trials Podcast Greg Houle

John Willard was both an outsider and a bit of a hustler, looking to earn wealth through land speculation. These qualities didn’t serve him well when the witch hysteria struck Salem in 1692 and John Willard found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 
Preorder Greg Houle's book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials
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In many ways, the Salem witch trials have taken on a life of their own over the last three centuries. In this episode, we’re joined by John Howard Smith, professor of history at Texas A&M University - Commerce, who helps us sort through the myths and realities of the witch crisis. 
Prof. Smith’s most recent book is A Dream of the Judgment Day: American Millennialism and Apocalypticism, 1620-1890
He is currently finishing up the drafting of his  new book, Heathens and Other Adversaries against Us: Religion, War, and Racial Identity in Colonial New England.
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Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
 

We explore the myth of religious freedom in early American history, addressing the intolerance of the Puritans  and the challenges faced by other religious groups. And we see how these aspects begin to evolve following the witch crisis. 
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Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.

Cotton Mather was a third generation minister born into Puritan royalty, a nepo baby long before anyone had ever used the term. But his involvement in the Salem witch trials — and defense of the trials afterward — led to his eventual vilification. We’re joined by Professor Rick Kennedy who helps us sort through Mather’s complex role in Puritan New England. 
Learn about Rick Kennedy
Learn about Rick Kennedy’s book The First American Evangelical: A Short Life of Cotton Mather
Rick Kennedy’s latest book is Winds of Santa Ana: Pilgrim Stories of the California Bight
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Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

We often think of the population of seventeenth-century New England as homogenous—made up entirely of Anglo-Puritans and the natives who had been living in America for centuries. Yet there were others in New England as well, including a very small, yet significant minority of enslaved Black residents. In this episode, we tell the story of two of them, Mary and Candy, who got caught up in the witch crisis.We are grateful to Jonah Hoffmann and the Salem Witch Museum for this blog post, which proved valuable for producing this episode. 
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Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials

We explore the enigmatic figure of Reverend Samuel Parris, the man who sat at the spiritual head of Salem Village during the witch crisis. We trace Reverend Parris' journey to Salem, which is set against a backdrop of privilege, adventure, and numerous setbacks.
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter. and TikTok
Learn about Greg Houle's forthcoming book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials