The Salem witch trials of 1692 are a fascinating and complex event in American history. Each year our museum receives requests from hundreds of students for information about the witchcraft trials for academic projects. This page provides information and resources to support student research.
Our Frequently Asked Questions page has been developed to answer the most commonly asked questions related to the Salem witch trials.
Our Student Question Video Series also addresses many frequently asked questions, and includes short videos for younger audiences, as well as longer videos about twentieth century witch hunts for older learners.
Check out our Recommended Reading list for suggestions of books about the Salem witch trials, witch trials in New England, European witch trials, and for young readers.
An overview of the existing Salem Witch Trials Primary Sources describes the various surviving records of the witchcraft trials and provides links to digital transcriptions.
Each year our Department of Education offers virtual lectures covering a variety of subjects. Some of these lectures may address your research questions.
Our Witch Trials Online Sites Tour allows you to view sites related to the 1692 Salem witch trials in Essex and Middlesex counties, plus the greater Boston area. Select a town or city to learn about relevant locations and view pictures. Included are original houses, foundations, grave sites, historical markers, and approximate locations of homes that are no longer standing.
Our blog includes posts covering a wide range of subjects related to the history of witchcraft. Recent blogs include: “Cotton Mather: Villain, Bystander, or Somewhere in Between?”, “The Metaphor of Salem and the New York Slave Rebellion of 1741”, “Remembering Candy and Mary Black”, “Magical Creatures, Artifacts, and Folk Belief”, “The 17th Century World of Witchcraft”, and more.
Chronologies
A chronology of events prior to the Salem trials can be found here.
A chronology of the Salem witch trials can be found here.
Useful Online Resources
Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project
This is an exceptional online resource containing primary source and secondary source materials related to the Salem witch trials. If you would like to view images of the original court documents from the Salem witch trials, this website has a selection of many of the digitized records.
The Danvers Archival Center houses a rich collection of objects, including several items related to the Salem witch trials. In 1692, what is now the town of Danvers was known as Salem Village. The first afflictions, witchcraft accusations, and examinations took place in this area. This website contains a lot of great information, including an “Ask the Archivist” FAQ, information about Salem witch trials sites located in Danvers, and information about the Danvers Witchcraft Victims Memorial.
Located in Rowley, Massachusetts, this library is one of the oldest in the country and houses numerous seventeenth century documents. Primary and secondary sources can be viewed by appointment. Additionally, a selection of witch trials documents included in the Peabody Essex Museum’s collection can be viewed here.
Congregational Library and Archives
The Congregational Library and Archives is an excellent resource for early colonial history. They have created a research guide to help find resources related to the Salem witch trials. These include church records from communities involved in the trials, such as Danvers (formerly Salem Village), Salem, Marblehead, and Topsfield as well as records from Boston’s Second Church where both Increase Mather and Cotton Mather served as ministers.
Academic Project Inquiries
If you are completing an academic project that requires an interview, we ask that you complete the bulk of your research before reaching out to our Department of Education. After having developed thoughtful research questions and seeking to answer these questions on your own, please contact [email protected] to set up an interview.
Imagery of Witch Trials
There are no contemporary illustrations of the Salem witch trials. However, over the centuries artists have envisioned both the Salem witch trials as well as fictionalized colonial witch trials. Below is an impartial list of some of these notable illustrations.
“The Witch No. 1,” J.E. Baker, c. 1892, held in the collection of the Library of Congress
“Martha Corey and her Persecutors” in Stranger’s Illustrated Guide to Boston and its Suburbs, James Stark, 1882.
“Arresting a Witch,” Howard Pyle, 1883-07, held in the collection of the New York Public Library
“The Trial of George Jacobs,” Thomas H. Matteson, 1855, held in the collection of the Peabody Essex Museum
“Examination of a Witch,” Thomas H. Matteson, 1853, held in the collection of the Peabody Essex Museum
“Witch Hill” or “Salem Martyr,” Thomas Satterwhite Noble, 1869, held in the collection of the New York Historical Society
“Witchcraft at Salem Village,” in Pioneers in the Settlement of America, William A. Crafts, Vol. I, 1876
Illustrated editions of “Giles Corey of Salem Farms”, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1868
“A Salem Witch Trial,” by Frank O. Small, in Stepping Stones of American History, 1904.
“The Trial of the Salem Witches,” George Fuller, 1897, replicated in International Studio, 1922.
“What a sad thing it is to see Eight Firebrands of Hell hanging there,” in “Stories of Salem Witchcraft,” Winfield S. Nevins, Part II, New England Magazine, September 1891-February 1892.
Illustrated editions of “Mable Martin: A Harvest Idyl”, John Greenleaf Whitter, 1876
Illustrated editions of “Dulcibel: A Tale of Old Salem” by Henry Peterson, 1907
“The Witches,” Walter MacEwen, c.1893
Portraits of Individuals Involved in the Salem Witch Trials
There are very few surviving portraits of individuals involved in the Salem witch trials. No contemporary illustrations survive of any of the victims nor any female involved in this infamous witch hunt.
Chief Justice William Stoughton