Learn about the first publications printed about the Salem Witch Trials in this episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily. Hosts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack delve into the rich and complex narrative of the 1692 witch trials through an analysis of primary documents. They discuss how early accounts like Reverend Deodat Lawson's 'A Brief and True Narrative' fueled the panic, while later writings from figures like Thomas Brattle, Cotton Mather, Increase Mather, and Robert Calef reflect a seismic shift from fear to regret. They examine the skeptical voices that questioned the use of spectral evidence and the ethical dilemmas faced by the Puritans, ultimately showcasing how documented words reveal the psychological and moral collapse that accompanied the trials.

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Week 3 Course Work: Salem Witch Trials Daily Course Week 3: Legal Limbo and the Road to Trial – The Thing About Salem

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Deodat Lawson, A Brief and True Narrative

Samuel Willard,Some Miscellany Observations

Thomas Brattle, Letter of Thomas Brattlet

Increase Mather, Cases of Conscience

Cotton Mather, Wonders of the Invisible World

Thomas Maule, Truth Held Forth and Maintained

John Hale, A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft

Robert Calef, More Wonders of the Invisible World