The Devil in New England: Witch Belief and Witch Trials in the Seventeenth Century

When most people think about historic American witch trials, it is Salem, Massachusetts that comes to mind. With good reason; in 1692-1693, the Massachusetts courts sentenced 19 people to hang and tortured a 20th to death. But there were almost 100 other fully documented court trials of accused witches in New England before Salem between 1647 and 1687, almost evenly divided between Massachusetts and Connecticut. The courts ordered the execution of at least 16 alleged witches, including 14 women and two men. This program will explore those trials and consider the ways that popular culture has represented that dark history. The presenter is Dr. Leslie Lindenauer. 

Dr. Leslie Lindenauer is Professor of History, Philosophy and World Perspectives at Western Connecticut State University and the Director for the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. She teaches courses in early American history, public history, the American Revolution, and museum studies, local history, and gender studies. Her research interests include popular memory and witch trials, gender and the construction of motherhood in popular culture, and the role of collective identity and public memory, including popular memory and the American Revolution. Her publications include: "Piety and Power: Gender and Religious Culture in the American Colonies 1630-1700" and "I Could Not Call Her Mother: The Stepmother in American Popular Culture 1750-1960". She received her B.A. from Brown University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from New York University. Before pursuing her academic career, she worked as a museum educator and administrator, as an historical editor, and with organizations that employed historical discourse in political advocacy.

Funding for this free program is provided by the Friends of the Hamden Library. Registration is recommended.