The Devil in Massachusetts: A Modern Inquiry into the Salem Witch Trials

The Devil in Massachusetts: A Modern Inquiry into the Salem Witch Trials

<b>The Devil in Massachusetts</b>, first published in 1949, is a well-researched, accurate narrative of the 1690s Salem witch 'outbreak' and subsequent trials. The book takes its dialogue from actual trial records and applies modern psychiatric knowledge to help explain the witchcraft hysteria. Villagers of Salem and the surrounding area—mainly young women—suffered from unseen torments that caused them to writhe, shriek, and contort their bodies, complaining of pins stuck into their flesh and of being haunted by specters. Believing that the cause was due to an invisible spirit, the village began to hunt down those believed responsible for these demonic possessions. The Salem Witch Trials, resulting in the execution of 19 villagers, remain as one of the most mysterious and fascinating events in American history. Marion Starkey (1901-1991) was a historian and author of a number of regional history books.