Salem Witchcraft in Outline

6b Caroline E. Upham “The Maiden Aunt.” Salem, Massachusetts: The Salem Press Publishing & Printing Co.,1891. Scarce.

Notes

Salem Witchcraft in Outline is a “cliff-notes“ history of the Salem witchcraft trials. A concise and accessible version of the infamous 1692 Salem Witch trials drawn from the more extensive historical work by Upham’s father, Charles Wentworth Upham. this concise history was written “for the young and the busy/“ Caroline Upham’s adaptation distills her father’s scholarship into an engaging narrative, accompanied by illustrations throughout. Aimed at a general audience. The book served both as popular history and moral warning in the late 19th century. Notably published in Salem itself. 

The Salem Witch Trials were a series of prosecutions for alleged witchcraft that took place in Salem Village and Salem Town, Massachusetts, in 1692–1693. Sparked by accusations from a group of young girls who claimed to be afflicted by witchcraft, the trials quickly escalated into widespread panic throughout the Puritan community. More than two hundred people were accused, and twenty individuals were executed—nineteen by hanging and one by pressing. The events reflected the intense religious beliefs, social tensions, and fear of the supernatural that characterized colonial New England. In the years that followed, the trials came to be widely regarded as a tragic example of mass hysteria and injustice, leaving a lasting mark on American history and serving as a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of fear and unchecked accusation.

Description

Brown cloth binding. Title in gilt with stylized scroll work and border on upper board. Gilt lettering to spine. Floral patterned and papers. Tight binding with light edge-wear to extremities and bumping to points. Gray smudge on lower board. Deckled fore edge. Small white stains to edge of upper board. Very good condition overall.