RESOURCES

Here are some resources you might find helpful. To add a resource, click EDIT, then click on Link. Choose External Link, type the name of the site, and paste the url into the address box. When you add a source, please include your own name so I can give you credit for sharing.

A good place to start! added by Mrs. Chappell

The Salem Witchcraft Papers added by Mrs. Chappell These are the verbatim (word for word) transcripts of the trials. They are arranged alphabetically by the name of the person accused, so it is fairly straightforward to find the testimony and "evidence" against each person. The documents are fascinating, particularly the testimony of the accusers. Many of the girls, especially Ann Putnam, Jr. were quite imaginative in their detailed accusations. The "evidence" would be laughable, except for the fact that people died. My only warning to those using this site is to be aware that the spelling is very odd, as the documents are reproduced exactly as written in 1692. Names and even basic words are spelled phonetically, often with extra letters thrown in for good measure. Just sound it out, and you should be able to read it without too much trouble.

[|SalemWitchTrials.org] added by Mrs. Chappell This is an educational website used and updated by colleges. Much of the information is either reproductions of historical documents or was written by historians. However, be careful with the "Notable People" section. Some of the essays are written by college students and are poorly cited or cite only one source. If you want to check whether an essay is a reliable, scholarly paper, just scroll to the bottom and check the citations. Better yet, go to the original document the essay writer cites and check out the info for yourself.

Salem Witch Museum added by Mrs. Chappell

Salem Possessed added by Mrs. Chappell //Salem Possessed// is a meticulously researched non-fiction account of the Salem witch hysteria. Boyer and Nissenbaum attempt to prove through trial transcripts and other historical documents that the witchcraft accusations of 1692 were motivated primarily by greed for land and personal grudges. This is the book on which the miniseries "Three Sovereigns for Sarah" was based. It might seem a bit intimidating to think of scrolling through hundreds of pages to find the information you seek. Fortunately, Google Books has a search function, so you can search by name or keyword and jump to the pages you want. However, there is a fairly significant downside; the "free preview" provides only some pages of the book, not the entire text. To read the entire book, one would need to purchase it.