Scholar discusses Salem witch trials

While most students may have read plays or historical accounts about the Salem witch trials in high school, Mary Beth Norton insists there is still more to find out about the strange chapter in America's history. In a speech last Wednesday night in the History Department Lounge, Norton -- a professor of history at Cornell University -- presented new and critical insights to the highly popularized witch trials that took place in Salem, Mass., in 1692. Sponsored by the McNeil Center for Early American Studies and the Women's Studies Department, Norton's lecture -- attended by about 25 people -- focused on describing her unique approach to researching the witchcraft trials. "Who are the accusers and what type of men did they accuse?" she asked, explaining the basic mystery. One of the central points of Norton's lecture was that there is a deeply rooted relation between the Indian Wars and the Salem crisis. Through her research, Norton discovered that all the afflicted accusers were orphaned young women of low status who were traumatically affected by the Indian Wars. Upon closer investigation, it was found that men who were accused of being witches had hindered the war effort against the Native Americans. Norton said she felt the witch trials allowed the accusers to vent their deepest fears regarding the Indian War. Initially, Norton expressed qualms in undertaking a topic that has already been so thoroughly researched. However, due to her innovative style of investigation, she was able to locate four previously undocumented sources. Instead of a biographical narrative, Norton intends to chronologically analyze the Salem crisis. Further, she plans to take a broad approach to understanding the society which generated the witch hunt. Captivated by her detailed historical accounts, the audience found her lecture to be highly engaging. One audience member, Rodney Hessinger, stated, "It was rewarding to see one of the founding mothers of women's history and her capability in reviving a dead topic."