Category: Colonial Era

Captain John Smith Explores New England

Captain John Smith was an English explorer known for his role in establishing the first English settlement, Jamestown, in North America. In 1614, a few years after he was forced… Read more »

Trial of George Jacobs of Salem for Witchcraft, painting by Tompkins Harrison Matteson, circa 1855

New Books on the Salem Witch Trials Published

Two new books on the Salem Witch Trials recently hit the shelves. The first is a historical fiction novel, titled Abigail Accused: A Story of the Salem Witch Hunt, based… Read more »

"There is a flock of yellow birds above her head" Salem Witch Trials illustration by Howard Pyle published in Harper's New Monthly Magazine circa 1893

The Witchcraft Trial of Mary Warren

Mary Warren was the oldest of the afflicted girls in the Salem Witch Trials and testified against numerous accused witches before she was eventually accused of witchcraft herself. A lot… Read more »

"Parris House, So Called, Salem Village," illustration published in Witchcraft in Salem Village in 1692; Winfield S. Nevins; circa 1916

Betty Parris: First Afflicted Girl of the Salem Witch Trials

Elizabeth “Betty” Parris was the first afflicted girl and one of the main accusers during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Born in Boston on November 28, 1682, Betty moved… Read more »

Reverend John Hale of Beverly

Reverend John Hale was a minister from Beverly, Massachusetts, best known for his role in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Born in Charlestown in 1636 to local blacksmith Robert… Read more »