Based on twenty-seven years of original archival research, including the discovery of previously unknown documents, this day-by-day narrative of the hysteria that swept through Salem Village in 1692 and 1693 reveals new connections behind the events, and shows how rapidly a community can descend into bloodthirsty madness. Roach opens her work with chapters on the history of the Puritan colonies of New England, and explains how these people regarded the metaphysical and the supernatural. The account of the days from January 1692 to March 1693 keeps in order the large cast of characters, places events in their correct contexts, and occasionally contradicts earlier assumptions about the gruesome events. The last chapter discusses the remarkable impact of the events, pointing out how the 300th anniversary of the trials made headlines in Japan and Australia.

"[A] truly impressive day-by-day compendium on the course of the Salem witchcraft trials. This will be an invaluable aid to the scholarship on this pivotal episode in American history." - Peabody Essex Museum Collections

"Monumental.... Roach's detailed reference book provides deep insights into the trial years by letting us listen to the voices of everyone involved." - Publishers Weekly

"Presents a detailed chronology of events from January 1, 1692, to January 14, 1697. Drawing on extensive sources, including some recently discovered manuscript material, it provides invaluable basic information in an accessible format that will aid those who are new to the Salem Witch Trials and those who many be revisiting them." - Library Journal

"The well-written text is formatted much like a diary of excerpted, paraphrased, and quoted documentation." - CHOICE

"Roach worked on this fascinating chronicle more than 25 years. She tells exactly what happened at the time, based on tons of documents and court testimony." - Denver Post

"Marilynne K. Roach's The Salem Witch Trials is representative of this ongoing interest: her "day-by-day chronicle" will find a place on the shelves of researchers and history buffs for whom the fascination of Salem never palls." - Books and Culture

"Useful, rigorous and historiographically current reference work." - Los Angeles Times

"Readers will come away with a much fuller pitcure of who lived in Salem and how they lived...This intriguing book offers an understanding of history that will be helpful to those studying colonial Massachusetts and of course, the notorious trials." - Booklist

"This book is a good reference for understanding why the accusations occured..." - Gainesville Daily Register