The Devil Discovered: Salem Witchcraft, 1692

by Enders A. Robinson

The Salem witch hunt of 1692 represents one of the grimmest events in early American history. It is the story of innocent people caught in a web of intrigue from which they could not extricate themselves. The author, himself a descendant of one of those executed, argues masterfully that the witch hunt was driven by conspiracies of envious men intent on destroying their enemies. Sanctioned by the old guard of Puritan leaders, these men arrested two hundred people for witchcraft, twenty-eight of whom were executed or died in prison. The convergence of religious, social, political, and economic forces that sparked the accusations and trials are laid out clearly and concisely, exploring the motives and relationships of those who fanned the flames of the witch hunt. Robinson also provides a closer look at the lives of seventy-five of the people accused as witches, analyzing their places in the community and shedding light on why they were targeted. Title of related interest also available from Waveland Edwards (Simonson, ed.), Selected Writings of Jonathan Edwards, Second Edition (ISBN 9781577663317).

Genres: Nonfiction, History

382 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Dr. Enders Anthony Robinson was director of the MIT Geophysical Analysis Group and he developed the first digital signal filtering methods to process seismic records used in oil exploration. He then worked in the oil industry both as a geophysicist and as an economist, having received degrees in both field from MIT. In 1988, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering for pioneering contributions to digital seismic processing.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, I forgot to post my review. But I read this history of the Salem witch trials in preparation for a speech to a group of writers in Massachusetts in August. I learned an enormous amount and it enhanced immeasurably my knowledge of the madness.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this piece of history. Salem was the best trip I’ve ever been on. It’s wild to see what people went through back into the 1600s and how witchcraft actually compares to today. Something as simple as using an aloe leaf for healing or growling because you’re mad could have you trialed as a witch. If you want to learn the truth about Salem this is an absolutely must read. Of course in my eyes, the best experience is to go to the witch city your self.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone finally got it right. It wasn't a wheat fungus, it wasn't mass hysteria, it wasn't poor vs rich (or rich vs poor), and it wasn't--as claimed by Chadwick Hansen--actual witchcraft. No, it was a conspiracy of self-interest, rigged from the start by the most conservative elements to maintain a status quo. A must-read.

[Kat Heatherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well organized, easy to read, thoughtful and compelling analysis of the historical problem of the Salem witch trials. Good bibliography and reliance on original sources. It is extremely similar to the other book by the same writer.

[Christine Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good format and presentation but citations, when there actually were some, were absolutely atrocious. Should definitely not be considered an academic text.