BOOK CLUB III:  Emerson Baker's A Storm of Witchcraft

The Partnership of HIstoric Bostons tells the story of early Boston, Massachusetts, and the wider 17th century world. Join our public history events to explore topics from myths about Puritans to early anti-vaxxers to the fate of Native peoples incarcerated during King Philip's War.

Partnership of Historic Bostons

Of the many books about the Salem trials, which matter?  Join our  book club to  discuss a book essential to understanding 1692.

Our first two book club discussions of Emerson Baker's acclaimed A Storm of Witchcraft sold out within hours - so we're offering two more! Thank you to our brilliant new volunteer and your book club moderator, Evana Rose Tamayo, for making these gatherings possible.Join us on August 16 to discuss Emerson Baker's A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience (Oxford University Press, 2014). Places are limited to ten people, so every voice counts. Start reading now!Talking points will be emailed to participants two weeks prior to the event, on August 2. One of the main challenges in studying the Salem witch trials is the incomplete record. Certain documents were never created, suppressed, or lost. These gaps leave historians with questions they cannot definitively answer and make interpretation a challenge.Yet historian and archaeologist Emerson Baker, drawing on his deep knowledge of Salem and the surviving records, has successfully navigated this difficulty in A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and The American Experience. His vivid retelling reveals how interconnected political, religious, social, and economic conflicts and the actions of Salem’s diverse population shaped the development and course of the Salem witch trials.By situating 17th-century Salemites within local and regional conflicts, Baker shows readers how individual choices and tensions interacted. Readers, in turn, may ask themselves whether those interactions can help us answer some of our lingering questions about the trials and their participants.Writing with a contemporary audience in mind, Baker demonstrates the continuing relevance of the Salem witch trials by relating them to contemporary issues. In one case, he compares the behavior of the afflicted girls in 1692 with that of a group of 21st-century girls in Le Roy, New York, to suggest how hysteria and fear shape national identity and American life - perhaps, it might be added, to 2025 American political culture, too.He also addresses Salem’s challenge in balancing respect for its tragic past with the demands of Halloween-driven tourism. A long-time and acclaimed Salem State University professor, Baker ends on a note of optimism, illustrating through the example of Proctor’s Ledge, the memorial at the hanging site of the Salem accused, that balance is possible.This book discussion will be moderated by PHB's Evana Rose Tamayo. There will be a 15-minute break midway though the discussion. Places are limited to ten people, so come prepared with your ideas, comments and queries! EVANA ROSE TAMAYO developed an interest in colonial American history and early American literature while studying history and English at the University of South Florida. Since 2006, she has taught literature at the high school level, where her passion for storytelling continues to shape both her teaching and creative work. She holds an Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction and am currently pursuing an M.Div. in biblical studies. Her first novel, which is set in 1920s Michigan and inspired by the moral tension in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, is currently in development. Since 2019, she has traveled regularly to Salem to explore its history and build relationships with local historians and preservation groups. She writes: "I am grateful for the opportunity to support organizations like the Partnership of Historic Bostons in their work to tell the stories of 17th-century Boston and New England." We are grateful to have her join us! FOR MORE INFORMATION<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson_Baker" title="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson_Baker" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Emerson Baker</a><a href="http://marilynnekroach.com" title="http://marilynnekroach.com" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Marilynne K. Roach</a>, author of Six Women of Salem and The Salem Witch Trials"The Salem Witch Trials: Interpreting History and Finding Relevance" a presentation by Dan Lipcan and Paula Richter, curators at the Peabody Essex Museum, for PHB. Watch it <a href="https://historicbostons.org/events/https/wwwyoutubecom/watchvj6hldcsxpi8-s4wah-7dst6-jby9z-f6ya5-3m2bz-clp9p-gb5br-nbgz3-6wntb-9xjye" title="https://historicbostons.org/events/https/wwwyoutubecom/watchvj6hldcsxpi8-s4wah-7dst6-jby9z-f6ya5-3m2bz-clp9p-gb5br-nbgz3-6wntb-9xjye" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">here</a>.The <a href="https://www.rebeccanurse.org" title="https://www.rebeccanurse.org" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Rebecca Nurse Homestead</a> WHAT THE REVIEWERS SAID ABOUT A STORM OF WITCHCRAFT"A masterpiece." - Maine Sunday Telegram."His rock solid historical work and lively, engaging prose made thisbook both an indispensable conribution to scholarship and a delight to read." - Scott D. Seay, Christian Theological Seminary"Emerson Baker's masterly dissection of events is both genuinely original and utterly persuasive, not least because of the importance of political circumstance, legal expediency and personal relationships... But his analysis of Salem...does more than just demystify the trials: it illustrates universal truths about human emotions and their place in modern society." - Malcolm Gaskill, author of Witchfinders: A Seventeenth Century English Tragedy The Partnership of Historic Bostons is an all-volunteer organization. As always, our events are free. But we welcome donations to defray our (mounting) expenses – whether it’s $10, $25, $50 or more. <a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9T8VXF7WDSVG6" title="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=9T8VXF7WDSVG6" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Please support 17th century public history!</a>Image: The History of Witches and Wizards: giving a true account of all their tryals in England, Scotland, Sweedland, France, and New England… London: For C. Hitch and L. Haws, 1700(?). British Library archives

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BOOK CLUB III: Emerson Baker's A Storm of Witchcraft

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