Defining Documents in American History: the Salem Witch Trial... - 9781637007686

Defining Documents in American History: the Salem Witch TrialsAuthor(s): Michael Shally-Jensen\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Grey House Publishing Inc, United States\nImprint: Grey House Publishing Inc\nISBN-13: 9781637007686, 978-1637007686\nSynopsis\nThe Salem Witch Trials, which took place in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693, have become indicative of mass hysteria, religious extremism, and false accusations occurring outside the fair and just rule of law. But what may not be as commonly known is that they were part of a wider phenomenon at the time a fear and prosecution of witchcraft stemming back to Europe in the 1400s that led to the deaths of upwards of 60,000 people, most of them women.\n\nIn Europe, these witch-hunts were notably severe in the Holy Roman Empire, and reached a peak between 1560 and 1630, also occurring in Scotland and England, as well as other European nations to varying degrees. As the fervor in Europe began to wane in the latter half of the 17.