Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft

Given to me as a gift by a friend who didn't think it would be interesting, this book was one of the most fascinating I've ever read. If you find sociology interesting, or if you have worked in a "groupthink" environment, you will find this book very insightful and thought-provoking. However, this book will be most enjoyed when the reader comes without preconceived expectations and accepts the book for what it is: a comprehensively-researched presentation of the writers' perspective and hypothesis on the subject. The language is a bit "steep" for the general population and may best be enjoyed as a leisurely read and not as required reading as in the case of a university course.

This is a wonderful book. Boyer and Neissenbaum take you to society and the time right before the witch trials took place. They give you all the information you need to feel what life was like there and to understand the underlying tensions and disputes, jealousies and arrogance. Things were changing. Some people wanted --and benefited from the changes-- others didn't want, and were antagonistic to, the changes. The ideal of the community was being tested by economic opportunity, which was fostering economic greed. An increasing stratified society was coming into being. Meanwhile, there was no mechanism available for petty disputes to be resolved via the courts or other public venues -- this is just a short list of the variety of problems that sat unresolved and which eventually broke loose in the hysteria of a witch hunting. This is an amazingly complex and fascinating story--the research and scholarship here is extraordinary. If you want to know what lead up to the witch trials this is the book you want to read.

Salem Possessed aimed at shedding new light on the Salem Witchcraft Trails of 1692 by providing new detail and insight into the social and political origins of the paranoia and fears felt by those in and around Salem Village. By using such detailed and effective primary sources, the authors were able to create a vivid image of the situation Salem Village was in, and how the emergent mercantile capitalism was mistaken by those as a threat of witchcraft. Introducing us to the two "rival clans", the Porters and the Putnams, as well as the key role of the minister Samuel Parris, the authors of Salem Possessed used statistical and empirical data to show how the clashing of these distinct people, and their distinctive ways of life, led to a crescendo in 1692 that allowed for the hanging of innocent people. The authors sum up the book by portraying the events of 1692 as an "obsession with outsiders", showing that the difference in proximity to Salem Town, financial standing, land holding, and taxable property was more than many "pro-Parris" Villagers could stand to sit idly aside and watch fluctuate sporadically. Overall, Salem Possessed is effective in erasing the stereotypes involved with the Salem Witch Trials by using concrete evidence, primary accounts, and statistical data that hint at a very evident pattern in the growing chasm between the pro-Parris, religious Puritans, and the capitalistic, wealthy Villagers who had stronger ties to Salem Town than the Village itself.

I was actually assigned this book for an anthropology class, but I couldn't put it down. Boyer and Nissenbaum look at every possible contributing factor to the witch craze that took hold of Salem in the late 17th century. They are careful to present all of the data upon which they based their hypotheses, allowing the reader to judge the validity of their claims. Salem Possessed provides an enlightening look at the pressures (social, economic, religious) that affected all of the villagers, and manages not to vilify any particular person.This book's strength is it's thoroughness, but it is also it's major drawback. It can be difficult to keep track of all the names, households and dates. However, it is well worth the effort, and I heartily recommend this book.

Boyer and Nissesnbaum's work on Salem is a fascinating look into the social stresses which were at the root of the explosion of accusations in this small Massachusetts town. Each of the elements in this disaster, i.e. the questionable ministerial skills of Samuel Parris, property disputes between the Proctors and Putnams, the conflicts between Salem Village and Salem Town, are thoughtfully analyzed as part of a whole. I higly reccomend this book for anyone wishing to have a deeeper understanding of the true causes of the Salem trials.