General Discussion

NRaleighLiberal

(60,015 posts) Fri Oct 25, 2019, 05:15 PM Oct 2019

We are listening to a great podcast on the Salem Witch Trials. Back then, and now, are so similar

My wife and I are working our way through a really interesting, well done podcast called Unobscured. Season one focuses on the Salem Witch Trials, which happened in 1692.

One thing that is very clear - even though it was nearly 330 years ago, the factors that led to the erroneous hanging of so many people are clearly on display with trump and his trump cult.

We thought it would be fascinating to learn about a part of history neither my wife or I knew all that much about (and being New Englanders, it is really fun to fill in parts of history not far from where one grew up)...we were not prepared to find so many parallels to today. There are some great interviews with scholars, and each one draws analogies to life and the thinking process (and disregard for the truth) of cult type behavior.

Give it a listen - if you are in to podcasts, particularly ones focused on history or true crime.

https://historyunobscured.com/season1/

6 replies

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We are listening to a great podcast on the Salem Witch Trials. Back then, and now, are so similar (Original Post) NRaleighLiberal Oct 2019 OP

The museum in Salem is interesting JDC Oct 2019 #1

I had relatives on boths of that equation, blew my mind when I started beachbumbob Oct 2019 #2

This sounds very interesting. Delmette2.0 Oct 2019 #3

Of course there are similarities. We see the same kind of "Christian" accusers then and now. abqtommy Oct 2019 #4

In 1683 my great, great, etc grandmother was tried. BigmanPigman Oct 2019 #5

Just finished it last week Proud Liberal Dem Oct 2019 #6

JDC

(10,129 posts)

1. The museum in Salem is interesting

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Original post)

Fri Oct 25, 2019, 05:41 PM

Oct 2019

if you get to the Mass N Shore be sure to go.

beachbumbob

(9,263 posts)

2. I had relatives on boths of that equation, blew my mind when I started

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Original post)

Fri Oct 25, 2019, 05:45 PM

Oct 2019

family research a few years ago

Delmette2.0

(4,166 posts)

3. This sounds very interesting.

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Original post)

Fri Oct 25, 2019, 05:45 PM

Oct 2019

I love podcasts about history. I have to look it up.

abqtommy

(14,118 posts)

4. Of course there are similarities. We see the same kind of "Christian" accusers then and now.

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Original post)

Fri Oct 25, 2019, 05:56 PM

Oct 2019

This is not meant to apply to real Christians and there are many.

BigmanPigman

(51,609 posts)

5. In 1683 my great, great, etc grandmother was tried.

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Original post)

Fri Oct 25, 2019, 05:57 PM

Oct 2019

My mom did thousands of hours of research on our family tree and discovered that she was the only person ever tried for witchcraft in PA. "She was found guilty of having the common fame of a witch but was acquitted of actually being one". After the trial her family moved to NJ. Neighbors said that missing livestock and ill animals were connected to her as well as making the stock levitate. This part is funny, "The evidence to convict her disappeared". Of course it would if she were a real witch, right?

When I was teaching 5th Grade the textbook said that the Salem witches were often mid-wives who were taking business away from the male doctors so the doctors badmouthed them. I always wondered how much of that is true.

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,414 posts)

6. Just finished it last week

Reply to NRaleighLiberal (Original post)

Fri Oct 25, 2019, 08:38 PM

Oct 2019

It was very good! Still hard to fathom how the whole thing got started, how people were actually convicted and killed, and how long it seemed to take to stop it. BTW they are apparently going to be releasing the soundtrack played in the background at some point.

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