HIST 4390 Salem Witch Trials

This course examines the Salem Witch Trials as an historical event from multiple angles, considering the roles that economics, gender, politics, religion, warfare, and other factors played in causing this infamous event. We will also examine the witch trials in their larger historical context, including witch trials in Europe and the colonies; the larger New England cultural landscape; and the particular religious context in which the actors in the witch trials operated. In New Codeition to these broader themes, we will pay close attention to select individuals and groups, trying to better understand their world and why they made decisions and acted in ways that seem strange to us today.

Credits Hours: 3