The Thing About Salem

Condemned by Poverty: The Trial of Sarah Good

This episode of 'Salem Witch Trials Daily' delves into the life and tragic fate of Sarah Good, one of the first accused witches in Salem Village. Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack explore Sarah Good's troubled life, including her early family tragedies, poverty, and the harsh Puritan mindset that branded her a witch. The episode details the accusations against her, the severe examination she faced, her husband's betrayal, and the devastating impact on her children, particularly her daughter Dorothy. Despite being condemned and executed, Sarah Good maintained her innocence to her final breath, delivering one of the most memorable lines in witch trial history.The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily HubSalem Witch Trials Daily Course Week 5: The Framework of Death⁠The Thing About Salem⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts⁠Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience⁠Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under SiegeMary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692

The Role of Animals in the Salem Witch Trials

In this episode of 'Salem Witch Trials Daily,' hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack delve into the unique role animals played in the Salem Witch Trials. They explore instances of livestock being bewitched, animals as manifestations of the devil, and the spectral creatures that haunted the courtroom testimonies. From Elizabeth Howe's bewitched mare to Dorothy Good's snake familiar, they discuss how animals were central characters in the accusations and served as evidence of witchcraft. The episode highlights the complex belief systems that made such spectral evidence not just believable, but legally actionable.The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily HubWeek 3 Course Work: Salem Witch Trials Daily Course Week 3: Legal Limbo and the Road to Trial – The Thing About Salem⁠The Thing About Salem⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts⁠Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience⁠⁠Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under SiegeMary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692

The Judges of the Salem Witch Trials Courts

What's in This Episode:The Court of Oyer and Terminer operated for less than five months in 1692, but the nine judges who sat on that bench sentenced nineteen people to death by hanging and allowed another man to be pressed to death under stones. This episode goes judge by judge, revealing the real men who wielded power without accountability during the Salem witch trials.What You'll Learn:Discover the legal framework that made the Salem witch trials possible, from the Body of Liberties of 1641 to the constitutional crisis that created this special court. Learn how the 1604 English Witchcraft Act shifted prosecution from proving actual harm to proving a diabolical pact with the Devil, and how spectral evidence became the cornerstone of convictions despite warnings from ministers like Cotton Mather and Increase Mather.Meet William Stoughton, the chief justice who sent juries back to reconsider acquittals and later raged when executions were halted. Hear about John Hathorne's aggressive interrogations that terrorized the accused, and why his descendant Nathaniel Hawthorne added a W to distance himself from the family legacy. Find out why Samuel Sewall became the only judge to publicly apologize and observe an annual day of fasting for the rest of his life, and why Nathaniel Saltonstall resigned from the court in protest after the first execution.Why It Matters:These weren't faceless figures of history. They were educated men with families and church connections who had acquitted accused witches years earlier but chose to accept unreliable evidence in Salem. LinksLearn About the Judges, Buy this book: A Storm of Witchcraft by Emerson W. BakerSalem Witch Trials Daily Videos & CourseThe Thing About Salem Website⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts YouTube⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts WebsiteSign the Petition: MA Witch Hunt Justice Projectwww.massachusettswitchtrials.orgSupport the nonprofit End Witch Hunts Podcasts and Projects

The Afflicted People of the Salem Witch Trials

In this episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily, hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack delve into the significant role of the afflicted persons during the Salem Witch Trials. They reveal that 73 individuals, not just a handful of girls, claimed affliction, including adults like Ann Putnam Sr. and John Indian. The episode traces the origins and evolution of the afflictions, from earlier witchcraft cases in Europe and America to the onset of symptoms in Salem Village in 1692. Detailed accounts of key afflicted individuals, including Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam Jr., and several others, illustrate how their testimonies and behaviors shaped the trials, leading to numerous arrests and convictions. The hosts also explore the broader implications and historical context of the afflicted persons' influence on the trials.The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily HubWeek 3 Course Work: Salem Witch Trials Daily Course Week 3: Legal Limbo and the Road to Trial – The Thing About Salem⁠The Thing About Salem⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts⁠Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience⁠Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege⁠Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692

Neighborly Animosity and Casual Curses: Salem Witch Trials Daily January 30, 2026

In this episode of 'Salem Witch Trials Daily,' hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack explore the mundane disputes that escalated into deadly witchcraft accusations during the Salem Witch Trials. They discuss key examples, such as Martha Carrier's land dispute with Benjamin Abbott, Sarah Good's muttered curses, Susannah Martin's confrontation over oxen, Margaret Scott's harvest-related grievance, and Wilmot Redd's harsh wish following a theft accusation. The episode provides a detailed look at how commonplace conflicts and frustrations were transformed into so-called evidence of diabolical pacts, fueling the hysteria of the witch trials.The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily HubWeek 3 Course Work: Salem Witch Trials Daily Course Week 3: Legal Limbo and the Road to Trial – The Thing About Salem⁠The Thing About Salem⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts⁠Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience:⁠Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege⁠Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692