salem (mass.)

Fictional account of the true story of the West Indian slave, Tituba, who was accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692.

In 1752, Sarah Carrier Chapman writes a letter to her granddaughter revealing a secret she has buried in her heart for over half a century. After Sarah and her family arrived in Andover, they encounter a community stricken by superstition and fear due to Native-American raids and the spread of a plague. Suddenly the Puritans believe that heretics in their town are responsible and the witchcraft trials begin. Sarah's mother Martha is among those who are arrested.

Easy-to-read text, historic art and photography, maps, and activities help introduce young readers to the events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials.

Presents evidence to support the author's theory that the strange physical and mental symptoms experienced by the residents of Salem Village, Massachusetts in 1692, which were at the time attributed to witchcraft, were actually caused by encephalitis.

Discusses the Salem Witch Trials, including their historical context, what happened to the accused, and how the trials changed the American legal system.

Presents information on the lives, behaviors, and beliefs of British colonists living in New England in 1692 in order to explain how it was possible for the people to turn against their neighbors with accusations of witchcraft.

Presents information for young people on what really happened in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 when a group of girls and young women accused certain people in the village of witchcraft, leading to the executions of innocent men and women.

Contains essays in which the author consider issues related to the witch trials in seventeenth-century Salem, Massachusetts, discussing possible reasons why the witch hunt occurred, and considering the motivations of the accusers, as well as the innocents who confessed.