The Salem Witch Trials Readers

I just finished reading this book. It was very interesting telling abut the personal accounts, history of Salem, religious beliefs, the trial, and the persecution that these people went through. I loved this book because it explained in depth while easy to understand and not boring or drawn out. I have a second copy of this book also from a relative and am definitely going to read this one again. Anyone who is interested in the Witch Trials should read this book. It was just like being in court during the late 17th century. A GREAT BOOK.

This truly a great book on the subject of the Salem witch trials. First, it offers historical context presenting period works, and then it expands to sampling the works written on the event since, showing the fascination we hold for it.The author begins with writings of the time, things that Salem residents would have come across in their own lives. Past that, she moves into the actual event, showing all sorts of personal accounts. Alongside these she offers brief biographies of the authors and certain named VIPs, which are helpful if you are reading on the subject for the first time.One of the things that was impressed upon me while reading this was just how many time periods have been caught up by the trials. Immediately after they took place there was an effort to come to grips with what had happened. From then until now each era had their own take on the subject. Fiction seems to have followed a similar pattern. Not being a literary historian, I was surprised that Nathaniel Hawthorn's work on the subject was not the first fictional treatment! She offers works up to the present day, ending with the 1990's.The only thing I would wish improved upon is that the commentary's typeface would be changed so that the eye can switch easily from the works shown and the author's thoughts.It would be very hard for anyone to have copies of all the books and essays excerpted here. That there is knowledgeable commentary is a plus. I found it plainly compelling reading. If the Salem witch trials interest you this should be one of the books you own on the subject. It will be a great compliment to any conventional history of the event, which this book does not necessarily replace.

............I have never been so captivated by the early history of the events occurring in New England prior to the formation of the United States and the writing of our Constitution. "The Salem Witch Trials Reader" is really a lesson not only about the Witch Trials, but about an entire period in the history the American colonies, as well as an analysis of human psychology and a glimpse into a world lacking basic human rights where one is guilty until proven innocent. Frances Hill provides us with a wealth of sources as well as analyses of the Witch Trials and the events surrounding them that are written by a number of authors. We meet all the major characters, analyze the social and political situation of Salem Village in the 1690s, delve into the psychology behind the accusations and subsequent convictions. This book, for me, was a true awakening regarding the experience of the settlers in this part of Colonial America. I had never fully comprehended the impact of the US Constitution on establishing and protecting human rights until I read this book. Additionally, I feel I learned something about the Puritans claim to be so god-fearing and religious, when in fact it was likely that their actions were just as motivated by the same temptations that any other human being experiences. Finally, this book was a glimpse into the evil that some people succumb to. You will not believe the punishment, for example, that was sometimes inflicted on even the children of accused witches.This book is a must for anyone interested in early American history, human rights, human psychology, or the early American legal system.

Finally, original texts! Those of us interested in the Salem Witch Trials must thank Ms. Hill for providing us with the opportunity, finally, to have access to many invaluable first-hand accounts of this most fascinating moment in history. Reading this extraordinary volume provides not only a political, religious, and historical context for the trials, but fills one with a real sense of the emotional response experienced by both victims and accusers. In modernizing spelling, Ms. Hill has rendered these texts a bit more readily comprehensible, yet she has changed neither the actual text nor its meaning. For students and enthusiasts of this subject alike, this is an absolute necessity!

This book will give anyone interested in the horror of the 1692 witchhunt, including those who loved Ms Hill's engrossing A DELUSION OF SATAN, a fascinating read through the exciting original documents. Indian raids, witchcraft, religious outrages and the miscarriages of justice that led to the terrible hangings are all revealed as if we were there. It's hard to imagine how this book could be bettered.