Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692

by Richard Godbeer

The Salem witch hunt of 1692 is among the most infamous events in early American history; however, it was not the only such episode to occur in New England that year. Escaping Salem reconstructs the "other witch hunt" of 1692 that took place in Stamford, Connecticut. Concise and accessible, the book takes students on a revealing journey into the mental world of early America, shattering the stereotype of early New Englanders as quick to accuse and condemn.
Drawing on eyewitness testimony, Richard Godbeer tells the story of Kate Branch, a seventeen-year-old afflicted by strange visions and given to blood-chilling wails of pain and fright. Branch accused several women of bewitching her, two of whom were put on trial for witchcraft. Escaping Salem takes us inside the Connecticut courtroom and into the minds of the surprisingly skeptical Stamford townspeople. Were the pain and screaming due to natural or supernatural causes? Was Branch simply faking the symptoms? And if she was indeed bewitched, why believe her specific accusations, since her information came from demons who might well be lying? For the judges, Godbeer shows, the trial was a legal thicket. All agreed that witches posed a real and serious threat, but proving witchcraft (an invisible crime) in court was another matter. The court in Salem had become mired in controversy over its use of dubious evidence. In an intriguing chapter, Godbeer examines Magistrate Jonathan Selleck's
notes on how to determine the guilt of someone accused of witchcraft, providing an illuminating look at what constituted proof of witchcraft at the time. The stakes were high--if found guilty, the two accused women would be hanged.
In the afterword, Godbeer explains how he used the trial evidence to build his narrative, offering an inside perspective on the historian's craft. Featuring maps, photos, and a selected bibliography, Escaping Salem is ideal for use in undergraduate U.S. survey courses. It can also be used for courses in colonial American history, culture, and religion; witchcraft in the early modern world; and crime and society in early America.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Witches, American History, Historical, School, True Crime

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Richard Godbeer received his B.A. from Oxford University in 1984 and his Ph.D. from Brandeis University in 1989. He specializes in colonial and revolutionary America, with an emphasis on religious culture, gender studies, and the history of sexuality. Godbeer was born in Essex, England, and grew up in Shropshire and Gloucestershire. He then lived in Oxford for three years as an undergraduate before crossing the Atlantic to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1984. He moved to southern California in 1989, where he taught for fifteen years at the University of California, Riverside. He moved to southern Florida in the summer of 2004 to join the Department of History at the University of Miami. He offers courses on a broad range of topics, including sex and gender in early America, witchcraft in colonial New England, religious culture in early America, and the American Revolution.

Godbeer is author of The Devil’s Dominion: Magic and Religion in Early New England (published in 1992 by Cambridge University Press and winner of the American Historical Association Pacific Coast Branch Award for the Best First Book), Sexual Revolution in Early America (published in 2002 by Johns Hopkins University Press and a featured selection of the History Book Club), Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 (published in 2004 by Oxford University Press), The Overflowing of Friendship: Love Between Men and the Creation of the American Republic (published in 2009 by Johns Hopkins University Press) and The Salem Witch Hunt: A Brief History with Documents (published in 2011 as a volume in the Bedford Series in History and Culture). Godbeer is currently working on a joint biography of Elizabeth and Henry Drinker, a Quaker couple who lived in Philadelphia during the second half of the eighteenth century. He is grateful to have received research fellowships from a range of institutions, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Philosophical Society, and the Huntington Library in San Marino, California.

Reviews

[Maggie Shayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like a novel!

I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping narrative. the extensive footnotes and resources sited in its appendices are a must have for anyone researching the subject of witch accusations in colonial New England. The extensive sections telling us why the author chose to write each section the way he did, however, seem mostly unnecessary, but can easy be skimmed.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I love little books. Second of all, I love historical little books surrounding this gruesome and paranoid time in our country's history. This little book recounts the time period of 1692 with one community's divided rally to either "burn the witch" or let the accused go free (all based on delusional finger-pointing.) A great read for the season.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read about Connecticut's witch hunt. Fun to learn about the history so close to my neighborhood!

[Bean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Escaping Salem by Richard Godbeer is a historical non-fiction based on historical records of less well-known witch trials, specifically the trials occurred in Stamford, Connecticut in 1692, the same year as the famous Salem witch trials took place. By writing this book, Godbeer intended to debunk the misconception –born from the panic of the Salem witch hunts– of the trials being led by paranoid, violent, and irrational townsfolk, but rather that these trials that were systematic and somewhat level-headed were, in fact, the norm.

The Stamford trials began when Katherine Branch, a maidservant in the Wescot household, suddenly fell ill and was victim of violent fits; she accused several women of bewitching her and causing her fits, she claimed they wanted her to become a witch like them and venerate the devil. Two of these women were put on trial. Escaping Salem gives us the point of view of a lot of people involved in the trials, from skeptical townsfolk that took care of Katherine thinking her illness was of natural cause, to those that tried to perform experiments on her to prove she was bewitched, to her patrons, the Wescots, and even Magistrate Jonathan whom questions these trials for how can they determine someone is guilty of something they cannot see.

The book is written in chronological order; however, whenever a significant character is introduced, Godbeer goes into detail about their background and the reason they are significant to the story. But other than that, it is a straightforward story and can be read as a novel. This book did not simply take on an academic approach, it does not just talk about the facts, but also about the people involved, their daily lives and how they were affected by these events, their emotions and thoughts as well. Godbeer presented perspectives that are often overlooked; by telling the characters backstories, it is easier to understand the moral and emotional weight upon the people in charge of the trials, and what it would mean for the women accused if they were found guilty. It was very interesting to see how the people from Stamford was very conscious about all these things and really tried to do the best they could.

My favorite thing about this book was being able to see how each of the characters thought, and I really appreciated how the magistrates were aware that the evidence they had against the accused was insufficient to convict them. But I will say that my least favorite part of reading this book was that sometimes it felt like it was just rambling about unimportant things, and I often found myself getting bored and distracted. But it was not so bad that I could not get through, I really enjoyed this book and would read it again with pleasure. I will be recommending this book to those who want to learn more about the witch trials, I feel like this is such a relevant story often overlooked; even I was surprised to learn that the witch hunts in Salem were atypical. This book gave me a new perspective and had me often wondering if the occult is not such a far-fetched idea, and I am excited to keep on learning about these events.

[Jessie Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Richard Godbeer and published in 2004, ‘Escaping Salem’ is a true story based on historical records, reconstructing a lesser known second set of witch trials that took place in 1962, in the small town of Stamford, Connecticut. Historians of early America and more specifically witchcraft know that the number of people executed and even accused of this crime in Salem heavily outweighs the totals anywhere else in New England, throughout the whole seventeenth century. These trials in Salem continue to create large amounts of scholarly attention even to this day.
Godbeer’s aim throughout his novel is to clarify and challenge the common assumption of New Englanders at this specific time, as irrational witch hunters. This is entirely based on the panic that evolved around the Salem Witch Trials, when in fact the Stamford trial was more typical of trials at this time.
The events of Escaping Salem which Godbeer relives through this historical fiction narrative are extremely intense. It’s June 1692 and the Salem Witch trials were starting to begin. Katherine Branch a seventeen-year-old maid was beginning to experience fits which alerted the people around her and could potentially indicate Kate being bewitched. She periodically cried out, collapsed, stiffened, and fell into trances. Following this she would then claim to see visions of witches in both human and animal form. Abigail and Daniel Wescot called for Sarah Bates the local midwife to find a natural explanation and gave them some suggestions to try. These were unsuccessful, the Wescot’s themselves began to believe it was in fact witchcraft. Many locals and neighbors helped with watching out after Katherine and for many this was also to see if she was truly bewitched or faking it.
Over the summer months she became able to identify and name one of these witches. It wasn’t until September that a special court was put into place and five different women were accused of Katherine’s bewitchment. Only two were held for full time trial, these being Elizabeth Clawson of Stamford and Mercy Disborough of Compo. At first no verdict could be reached, so then informed by the Connecticut General Assembly to review the case a second time and reach a decision and this is what they did. October had arrived and judgements were handed down. Elizabeth Clawson was found not guilty whereas Mercy Disborough was sentenced to death after being found guilty. Not long after this sentence Disborough’s supporters appealed on her behalf and after six months the General Assembly acquitted her too.
Godbeer is correct in saying that this is a typical trial, Katherine was a young orphan who faced poor chances of ever marrying someone and was the type of young lady New Englanders would imagine witches wanting to recruit. The house of the Wescots was a place where one could see potential bewitchment occurring, especially after years earlier when one of the Wescott’s daughters had experienced the same fits. Although witchcraft seemed like the most possible explanation for what was happening to Katherine there were of course other possible explanations. Allegations turned towards older women generally with a reputation for being bad tempered or grumpy. When these accusations occurred a significant amount of people came forward to defend the women and support their good behavior.
Godbeer’s account of this series of events and the process of what occurred is a gripping historical fiction narrative was created from mainly readings of the evidence collected for the trial. In the Afterword, Godbeer discusses how he avoided interpreting the case reports. He presented the events that occurred as they were described. These aspects included people’s descriptions of suspected witchcraft, visions others had and even perceptions of Katherines fits. He avoids explaining these events individually or by fitting them into a chronological narrative.
What occurred in this time period and in this book are all evaluated and analyzed by the people in the narrative, who were the ones involved in all the events. They all present different opinions and perceptions of what occurred in the series of events in the Salem Witch trials and even more importantly the evidence used in the related cases. This makes the narrative extremely interesting as well as easy to read because the explanations of events occurring are coming from people involved in the time period. This causes you feel as though you are a part of the trials and makes the book a lot better to read. This is a very smart and engaging technique used by Godbeer in his writing. This narrative is not a traditional monograph it focuses on telling a story and includes history that is more academically focused on making an argument based on the evidence. Therefore it can either be used for academics or just be read by anyone. It differs from general history genre as it voices the opinions and ideas from those involved in the events that occurred many years ago. Personally, I rate Richard Godbeers narrative, ‘Escaping Salem- The Other Witch Hunt of 1692’ a four out of five and would definitely read it again!

[Danielle Orsino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outside of the gleaming spotlight shining upon Salem’s infamous witchcraft phenomenon lies the dim unexplored tales of small town common folk wrapped up in an occult mystery all their own. Richard Godbeer’s narrative historical account, Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692, highlights the town of Stamford, Connecticut and its impact in reversing the stigma surrounding the witch trials. Instead of taking an academic writing approach, which typically centers around a strong thesis argument, Godbeer uses his faithful analysis to convey the historical timeline, daily life, raw emotions, and personal opinions of the town’s residents, from accusations to the trial’s conclusion in fascinating detail. It was these minute details on quarrels, ill circumstances, and religious dogmas that sparked an inner turmoil within myself to question if powers of the occult had truly cast a cloud over the seemingly unsuspected and undeserving young servant and her colonial town. While Godbeer’s ability to use words to show imagery is wonderful, my one criticism is that it feels at times he drags on his points to give his pages length through unnecessary descriptions and filler words.

By allowing a glimpse into the sentiments of those accused and the lawmakers prosecuting the crime, Godbeer humanizes characters often hated. Thus, he adds a uniqueness to this book by capturing a perspective often overlooked. The telling of the character’s backstories intensified my understanding of the moral weight upon the shoulders of magistrates, and the fate of both the goodwives and the town if an unjust verdict prevailed. In regards to the law makers particularly, I enjoyed the moral significance Godbeer placed upon upholding the standards of the law whilst balancing the public’s opinions of the courts. When magistrates were interpreting the law, I felt Godbeer did a tremendous job of modernizing and simplifying colonial legal jargon, so that the reader could also come to a verdict themselves. As a rational person, I respected and agreed with the magistrates claim that the evidence and testimonies were insufficient to convict. Therefore, both women were innocent. Despite the jury’s ultimate decision, Godbeer’s writing makes it clear that voices of reason were present within a time where claims ran wild and peers were quick to condemn. That religion was not the sole factor in decisions, and the law upheld justice to its best decree. All in all, I was truthfully satisfied to have read an account on witchcraft trials that did not end in tragedy and regret by the book’s conclusion. Thus, it left me to ponder. If the law was so meticulously dissected and townspeople defended the accused instead of quivering in fear of reprisal, would other witch hunts throughout colonial history have concluded with the same positive result?

With questions lingering as the book comes to a close, Godbeer’s afterword provides closure to readers with the discussion of the town’s forward progress and both rumored and confirmed outcomes of the trial participant’s lives post witch hunt. However, to say Godbeer’s afterword is just a “what happened next” would discredit his historian skills. The first aspect I particularly enjoyed of Godbeer’s afterword, was his explanation on the social significance and interrelatedness of women and witchcraft. Godbeer recognizes the societal stigma of women who defy norms and challenge authority. Because unruly women threaten the existence of social structure as we know it, they are punished for their actions and shamed through derogatory names to keep them in line. In 1692, a disorderly woman was deemed a witch. Swap the first consonant in 2000’s and beyond, and the term is too inappropriate to put pen to paper. Overall, I was appreciative of Godbeer tipping a nod of respect to women and other minority groups today who are not being burned at the stake, but are still suffering and facing discrimination and oppression through political, religious, and social based “witch hunts”. Lastly, while I have enjoyed this book for many reasons, my favorite thus far has been Godbeer explaining why he chose to tell this tale. It gave the book a personal touch that showed the extensive effort and research he put in to achieve a historian’s standard of perfection.

While Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 is not the typical academic read, it is addictive, fast paced, and enjoyable. My fingers flew through the pages at a rate paper should catch fire. It’s numerous illustrations complement the descriptive, yet modern, text to take the reader’s mind to the period itself. Overall, I would recommend this read to scholars, witchcraft enthusiasts, and yearning history buffs alike.

[Katherine Addison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly straightforward recounting of the events of 1692 in Stamford, Connecticut, where a seventeen-year-old servant named Katherine Branch started having fits in April (too early, in other words, for her to be influenced by reports of the goings-on in Salem). Godbeer chronicles her master and mistress' attempts to find an explanation, either natural or supernatural, and the eventual uneasy settling on witchcraft; the (comparatively) slow process by which Kate came to accuse Elizabeth Clawson and Mercy Disborough as her tormentors; and Goodwives Clawson and Disborough's trial and eventual acquittal. It's all very familiar if you've read much of anything about witchcraft in colonial New England--and probably a good place to start if you haven't. The most interesting chapter is the examination of the magistrate William Jones' notes on the legal requirements for a conviction. Unfortunately, the least successful chapter is the last one, where Godbeer steps back from his narrative to provide historical contexts and some very rudimentary analysis. Most of his best points are simplified from other authors (particularly John Putnam Demos), and he doesn't do anything with them. Also, although he does some comparisons with Salem, he doesn't discuss the points I thought were the most interesting:

1. Kate Branch's affliction was not contagious, unlike the very similar fits of the girls in Salem. No other persons joined her in her suffering--and this despite the fact that Joanna Wescot, the daughter of Kate's employers, had suffered fits of the same sort a few years previously.

2. The magistrates in Connecticut seem to have been following very different rules than the ones in Massachusetts, including the a priori disallowal of spectral evidence (i.e., anything an afflicted person claimed to have seen or heard in one of her fits); the insistence that there be two reliable witnesses for any piece of evidence; and the clear focus on the covenant with the Devil as the prosecuteable offense, not the sufferings that the accused might or might not be inflicting on her neighbors. Books about Salem spend a lot of time, of course, talking about the controversy over spectral evidence (although Godbeer makes it sound as if there was no controversy, that the legal situation was unambiguous--which my other reading has suggested was not the case), but the other two points--also the point that judicial torture was illegal under English (and therefore colonial) law, which means (a.) most of the confessions in the Salem trials were invalid and (b.) the actual criminals were the authorities--are things I haven't seen discussed before. I would really have liked a little more unpacking of this particular issue.

3. The attitude shown by the magistrates toward the afflicted parties were polar reversals of each other. Whereas the afflicted girls in Salem were considered to be unimpeachable witnesses and were all but encouraged to "perform" at the trials of those they accused, Kate Branch was treated with extreme skepticism. If she was present at the examinations of Goodwife Disborough and Goodwife Clawson, either she did not fall into fits or the magistrates disregarded her fits as evidence. Partly, of course, they were determined not to follow Salem's terrible example, but I would have liked Godbeer to have discussed in greater depth the process by which, in Stamford, the focus shifted away from Kate Branch once the legal proceedings began.

In general, this book is quite useful for throwing a spotlight on the moments at and ways in which Salem fell off the beam and into what can be quite accurately called hysteria. Ironically--given its title and Godbeer's stated aim of correcting our view of witchcraft trials in colonial New England--I found that this, being a single case study and without any ground-breaking analysis, didn't tell me anything new about the general subject of witchcraft in New England, but it DID highlight peculiarities of the situation in Salem and suggested new questions to ask.

[yelena ʚɞ ˖ ࣪ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for a class and is not my genre.

[Mitchell Regelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Godbeer’s title, Escaping Salem, suggests that this story will present a different perspective on the popular history surrounding witch hunts and witch trials. This narrative of a trail in 1692 indeed presents an exceptional view of historical evidence. Escaping Salem follows the story of Kate Branch, a servant of the Wescot Family who is suddenly incapacitated by fits (seizures). After exhausting the limited medical and spiritual treatments available in that century, the townspeople decide that Kate must be bewitched. Lack of scientific and medical knowledge leaves humans to explain phenomenon in supernatural terms. Kate goes along with this and names a total of six witches who are attacking her. A trial ensues. Throughout the trial, Godbeer guides the reader through the process of collecting evidence and explores the surprisingly interesting conflict about what makes legally valid evidence.
In a word, Godbeer assesses the community as "conflicted.” Godbeer makes every effort to show the thought processes of those involved with this trial and emphasizes that these are people who are struggling to explain the natural world -- not one-dimensional, fanatical zealots. The judge presiding over the trial constantly balances the public pressure to prosecute witches with the judicial standards raised as a result of the earlier Salem witch trials. Godbeer treats the Puritan townspeople with respect and a lack of modern judgment as he attempts to explain them as a product of a seventeenth century worldview that mixed reason with the supernatural and which made sense to them.
Popular history is a difficult genre in which to write. One must balance giving the reader a compelling story and dialogue while remaining historically accurate to the source texts. Godbeer seems to master this task. Godbeer’s writing effectively weaves facts into an interesting tale while making it obvious whenever his writing turns to informed speculation. An example comes in the very end of the book when he distinctly separates his speculation about one of the characters leaving prison with the actual fact of the matter. I am sure if I took the time to comb through the original court documents this work is based on I could endlessly nitpick on small bits of inconsistent framing or context, but in general, Godbeer does a fine job of weaving a compelling narrative with the facts of the situation.
I only have three pieces of meaningful criticism for this work. First, and most importantly, Godbeer seems to not expect you to remember every event that has happened in the book so he often repeats himself which I would argue adds unneeded length and confusion to the book. This is a short book and repeating the details of situations can feel like padding. Now this is hardly a large issue as this likely happens in order to alleviate my second issue. The second bit of criticism I have is that it can be difficult to keep track of who is who. Many of the characters share last names which is the main way of referring to them. Now of course this will not be an issue for everyone so take this bit of criticism with a big grain of salt. And finally, the last bit of criticism is that I wish Godbeer went into more detail about what the acceptable standards for prosecution of witches were before this hunt. I can understand why he did not write that in though as it could go too deep into the realm of speculation and it does not quite fall into the focus of this book.
So, does Escaping Salem effectively show that colonists are not simply bloodthirsty zealots who are looking to find everyone they do not like as a witch? Godbeer emphasizes this argument mostly with the descriptions of the townspeople. Godbeer takes just about every possible opportunity to mention how conflicted the public are about this trial. When it is decided that Kate is bewitched, Godbeer emphasizes that not everyone was even convinced of that basic premise. Some of the public thought she was simply faking it for attention. The chief judge’s main moral dilemma even is over how to balance the perceptions of the public with the new judicial standards to decide whether someone is a witch. These along with other examples in the test, supposing they are accurate of course, convince me that people back then were more complex than you might think from the Salem witch trials.
In conclusion, if I were to give this book a rating it would be four stars out of five. Despite my mild criticisms, I do think this is both a well-written book and a compelling retelling of the witch hunts in Stamford. The good here definitely outweighs the bad and I am satisfied with the book as a whole.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escaping Salem is a book written by Richard Godbeer. The story views a 1692, Puritan society in Stamford, Connecticut. The people living in Stamford had already heard about the Salem Witch Trails and were weary to condemn people so quickly. The story begins with a young woman named Katherine (Kate). Kate was a servant to Daniel and Abigail Wescot. Kate begins to have “fits” which is suspected to be caused from witchcraft. The book gives a detailed summary about how people determined a person was possessed by the devil, then who was causing the episodes using witchcraft, and how the suspected witches were tried and punished. From reading this book, I gained a better understanding of people’s views on witchcraft in the 1600s. I assumed when a person was suspected of witchcraft, they were immediately hung and prosecuted. This book educated me on the step by step process of evidence and trials related to witchcraft in the late 1600s.
First, I was intrigued at the beginning of the book. I believe Godbeer did an excellent job in depicting the struggle Kate was having. As I was reading, I started to understand the Wescot’s fear and the torment Kate had felt. I would like to further discuss the visit Joseph and Nathaniel Wyatt had visiting Kate. Mr. Wescot agreed to let the two men watch over her. As she was doing her chores, she had a fit and the two men had to carry her inside. Both men along with a few others had suspicions she was faking her fits and wanted proof she was being honest. They were going to use a knife to carry out an experiment to prove her outbursts were legit. The first time they brought the knife out, Kate immediately ran away in fear. This was suspicious to both men and they did not want to be fooled by a woman. She eventually collapsed again. The men retrieved her and began the the experiment for a second time. In that moment, she declared “I’m possessed by the Devil and he appeared to me in the henhouse in the shape of a black calf. He wants me to be a witch and if I will not he’ll tear me to pieces (Godbeer, 31).” After her proclamation, all three noticed a light dart through the room. Godbeer then describes questions the men would have thought at that point. From this scene, the reader truly understands the torment Kate was under. Godbeer strategically describes what Kate and both men were feeling. I empathized with Kate and her struggle. She thought her convulsions were being caused by the devil and feared the unknown. Her only way of defending her convulsions was to blame the devil. This scene also shows how other people reacted to suspicion of witchcraft. People were weary to believe in witchcraft and wanted proof. They used certain experiments to gain proof and justification. Escaping Salem did a great job describing a person possessed by witches. I also now understand how townspeople reacted and felt towards individuals influenced by witchcraft.
At first, five women were going to be prosecuted. Eventually three women were exempt, and only two were put on trial. Elizabeth Clawson and Mercy Disborough were both put on trial, accused of witchcraft. Before the trial, Godbeer explains the process gaining evidence that women were witches. Godbeer gives several examples of evidence and describes how proof was assessed. I will discuss one example that stuck out to me. He explains that woman were asked to search Clawson and Disborough for marks of the devil. After both suspects were searched three times, the woman could not agree if the marks were natural or marks of the devil. They reverted to different tests but no one could agree on a consensus. Because no conclusion could be agreed upon, the magistrates decided to hold the women in jail until they had a trial.
The book gives an extremely detailed report on the trials and dives into the thought process the jury, magistrates, and even townspeople had. Considering these aspects, the book receives four out of five stars. The prosecuting process for witchcraft was more complex than I had originally assumed. Elizabeth Clawson was found innocent and was freed after the trials. Mercy Disborough was found guilty and was kept in prison. Several of Mercy’s followers or “fans” discovered and error in her trial which eventually granted her freedom. Godbeer defies my preconceived notion that suspected witches were normally hung. Even after Mercy was found guilty, people tried to prove her innocence and help her gain freedom. People demanded evidence of witchcraft and made sure there was substantial proof and agreement before condemning a person.

[Jaime Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Escaping Salem, which was written by Richard Godbeer, takes an interesting look at what was going on during a witch trial, this time not in Salem. This book, however, goes and it looks at the story of a woman farther south in Fairfield, Connecticut. The book takes this historical event that was very prominent during the time and turned it into a story using assumed dialogue between the characters to tell the story. This makes it unique to other historical reads. Rather than just being a historical read, the story follows a narrative of a very young woman named Kate who was thought the be bewitched. This book shows Godbeer’s interpretation of the facts of the time period. She was an indentured servant for a well-respected family in the community who had similar issues with their daughter in previous years. The book goes through what Kate, the family, and the rest of the community experienced during this worry some time. This was frightening due to them having to believe that not only a member of the community was bewitched, but also that there was at least one witch in the community who wanted to do them harm.
I personally found the book interesting as I have always been intrigued by the Salem witch trials. That being said I feel as if it is rare to hear of other cases during this time period in other locations. This made it more interesting as it went through the personal experiences the people had to endure. It goes through all the symptoms Kate was exhibiting and even provided a list of what the people during that time period would use to determine if someone was a witch or not. It goes through the process of how the community came to the conclusion that the girl being bewitched along with the actual trials of the women they accused of bewitching the girl. It discusses the common test that they would use to determine if someone was bewitched. They would perform these tests and would see how Kate reacted to them when conducted on her. It includes drawings of depictions of the trials along with actual documents that were produced during the time having to do with these trials. I enjoyed learning about this historical event in the way that the author told it as it was unique for a historical read.
This book also indirectly showed what was going on during the time period. It showed how the community would come together in times of need such as this one. It was stated in the book that other members of the community would often stay and help watch over Kate while the family did other day to day tasks. This showed the community effort and how they would all work together to protect Kate and get to the bottom of the situation. This was a reflection of the time and how the community really depended on each other during these times of need. The book gives a copious amount of information indirectly about how societies during this time period would work together and often need to lean on each other. This allows the reader to go deeper than just a story of a young bewitched woman.
The only issue I had with this book was how repetitive it was, especially near the end during the trials of the accused. The last two chapters said the same thing in about thirty different ways, which got very annoying. Due to this I would give the book three out of five stars. The beginning of the book was face paced and interesting as it followed the struggles of Kate along with the struggles of the family and community. This changed drastically once it got to the issues of who bewitched her and how the community was going to deal with the women accused. However, it did go into detail about the entire process the community went through to properly convict the two women accused. It follows the story all the way up to what happens to the women who were accused of bewitching the young woman. It also discusses why they believed it was the accused women who did it to her. It shows how detailed the process was to actually convict a witch.
Overall, I would say that this book is a very good read, especially if you are interested in the witch trials. As the book goes into great detail about how communities would deal with these issues. As I stated previously, I would only give the book three out of five stars due to the repetition. However, it provides full details of everything they had to do surrounding the case making it not only interesting but also very informative.

[Hope Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrative “Escaping Salem: The other Witch hunt of 1692” written by Ricard Godbeer is a historic mystery nonfiction narrative that takes place in Stamford, Connecticut. This narrative tells the fascinating story of how Stamford community members come together to attempt to investigate the strange epileptic fits of a seventeen-year-old orphaned servant named Kathrine “Kate” Branch, whose masters are Mister and Mistress Wescot. They believed to have become bewitched and tortured by various witches in the community. Unlike in Salem, Massachusetts, the people of Stamford, Connecticut only wanted a reasonable explanation as well as to prosecute specifically the members of the community in which they believed to be witches beyond a reasonable doubt utilizing a method more along the lines of our current judicial system as opposed to what eventually happened with Salem going almost into chaos and almost a mob rule. They were witches, hence the section of title “The other witch hunt of 1692”. The story goes into great detail explaining how Kate is suspected by her masters and many community members to be bewitched and the steps taken by them to determine who or what the actual cause of this bewitching was. The story outlines the constant struggles as well as the conflicts experienced by the community in determining the answer to the main question of “Is Kate being possessed and tormented by various witches or if she is faking the entire thing to gain attention?”. The book goes on to show how the townsfolk were actually skeptical of the accusations made by Kate as to who actually “bewitched” her. The reader is almost forced to applaud the community efforts to maintain order amid the accusations made against their community members.
Overall, I think this narrative is very well written for being a relatively short story. It has a fantastic storyline that also remains informative for the reader. The story dives right into precise events that are not typically discussed concerning the era. This is largely because the Salem witch trials being more studied due to the barbaric and haphazard methods used to determine who was a witch in the later part of the Salem trials of Massachusetts. The book is easy to follow the writers point, due to the simple text as well as clear articulable details about the characters as well as the events discussed. Although I did find this book to be somewhat repetitive with the discussion of the events that occurred, I think the book does an outstanding job expressing the need the community felt to establish a guilt beyond a reasonable doubt that accused community members of witchcraft were indeed guilty of such crimes. This is important to the reader to outline because it is made clear they didn’t allow dubious evidence. The narrative takes you inside the investigative journey and the minds of these skeptical townsfolk. The community did not take lightly the accusations of the multiple women ultimately put on trial for witchcraft. Mr. Godbeer shows the legal thicket the judges had to sift through in the attempt to determine if this was based in natural causes or supernatural causes or the mind of a seventeen year old girl.
I believe that this book was both informative and accessible. It gives you a general idea of how the witch trials occurred and the investigative process utilized by the community. It takes a look at what constituted proof of witchcraft at the time. Mr. Godbeer does an excellent job utilizing the notes used by Magistrate Selleck on establishing said guilt. The book is very clear and articulate as to the methods used by the community, but does so in a way that spares the more squeamish reader unnecessary gore and/or gruesome details that add nothing to the actual content of the information. Due to the above mentioned aspects evaluated in this narrative review of “Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692”, written by Richard Godbeer, I believe the book is more than deserving of a four out of five star rating enhancing a wonderful account of life in colonial New England.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy enough read for a history book. Its style could keep anyone engaged, but the frustrating thing was never knowing how much of it was speculation/filling in the blanks, and how much of it was literally what happened. The way everything was described felt more like a murder mystery podcast than objective history, so I didn't enjoy the tone (but I bet a lot of people would).

Overall, the story is very simple: Kate, an orphaned servant girl, starts claiming she's being attacked by witches. Most of the stuff she complains of can be easily explained away, but some of the things other people claim who had been watching over her, those cannot be so easily explained. Slander starts getting thrown at people, old rivalries are dug up, and basically the entire endeavor feels like a female rivalry/drama-fest gone wrong. I found it very interesting how it's almost exclusively women who were both afflicted and accused, and it was up to some very patient and prudent colony officials to sort everything out. And, as the book's jacket brags, those in charge of this trial were excessively levelheaded and rational about things. They didn't just kill everyone accused of witchcraft, they by this time had decided against "Ducking" people in water, because even if that worked, it could only work thru the power of the devil (which kinda defeats the purpose). I was surprised to learn that Ducking was invented because people assumed that if you floated, it was because you were hydrophobic, i.e. you were allergic to your baptism.... but thankfully the law experts and theologians of the time saw through it.

It's important to note as well that the hysteria and "contagious" nature of the bewitchings at Salem were not present here; it only impacted one girl, and only a couple other women were seriously charged. I also found it very interesting to note that Kate never blamed any Native Americans or tried scapegoating them; in fact they're entirely absent from the story, which throws some serious doubts on the theory that these colonies were founded on imperialism and slavery. This book (and the rest of the early US history in this region) shows the once-obvious truth that it was actually for religious freedom and toleration that people moved here.

Anyway, back to the story. The strange thing is that, when all is said and done, we are left confused, we are left with a horrible trilemma: either the afflicted girl made up all of these things, or she was suffering from delusions, or she actually was demon-possessed. Of these, the second is the one we hope for, since the first one is terrifying in that it shows the depth of lying that petty people can go to. The last option is terrifying for other reasons. I'm glad that the author left things open and wasn't extremely hostile to the church, as I would assume that books on this topic are usually written from either a skeptical, scientific, progressive perspective, or from a sympathetic, mystical, witchy perspective. This book would be helpful for both of those types of people (modernist rationalists and postmodern "spiritual but not religious" types), since it would help shatter the myth of Christianity being some superstitious, woman-hating religion. These judges and juries were deeply aware that if they circumvented the need for direct, physical evidence, or if they flaunted any other legal regulations, they would set a horrible precedent. Any unjust capital punishment they dealt out would be blood on their hands, and it was their very faith in God's justice and standards which actually kept the proceedings calm and just. Read it if you want to, but you're not missing much if you don't.

[LMLH · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book itself was ok and I love Salem Witch Trial stories and this one offered a new perspective to how the Conneticut colony handled their trials and while it was informative, I have to give it 2 stars based on the fact that it was a slog to read through and I was so bored that I ended up skimming some of the afterwords at the end, man I hated the rambling, I was so frustrated. (Minor Spoilers)

I have nothing against Godbeer as a person and I applaud him writing a book like this, but whoever said tiny font with congested paragraphs was a good idea needs to be fired and revoked of their license (joking of course). This is a me problem, but I found the book very hard to read at times and often I was bored or tired of reading it and the only reason I finished it, was because my History professor assigned it to us for an upcoming test.

I did like the narrative of it and how it showed the influence of witches and the hysteria it caused back then and how women were considered not as strong as the males (in the words of the researchers) so because of that, their bodies were easier to overtake, which was an interesting tidbit, also the remarks about birthmarks and the dunking methods was also quite fun to learn about.

Let me get this out of my system now, but Katherine Branch is an attention seeking b*tch and what she put Clawson and Disborough through was unforgivable, even if the elderly women had their flaws. I had a feeling that she was either sick and it went undiagnosed due to the times or was faking it for attention because she was so wishywashy with her symptoms that I was like, I hope she gets what she got, and to my dismay, her fate is pretty much shrouded in mystery oh well. Let me just say that even though the elderly women were set free, they still deserved better for having their names slandered by some sick girl who wanted people to notice her, one of the ladies was attacked for it, stupid Kate.

I love the ambigious ending of the recount, but overall if this book wasn't a reading assignment for class, I would have DNF'd it so hard and forgotten about it like some of the other books on my shelf.
Overall, an intersting new perspective on an infamous period in American history, but an arduous, if not tiresome, read to get through, if you're not accustomed to reading. For a short book, it felt like a chore to get through, that is all.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I got out of this narrtivized account of witch trials in Connecticut (contemporaneous with the most infamous witch hunt in Salem, Massachusetts). The afterword, which provides more traditional historical context and reasons for including/excluding certain elements of reconstruction, was particularly helpful in understanding life in Puritan New England. Potent themes of this text are legal/theological norms in colonial New England, as well as the contours and anxieties of social life. Accusations of witchcraft were largely a practical matter between neighbors, people who lived in a time where exacting control over one's environment was harder or nearly impossible to achieve. Thus, people in small villages and towns assigned culpability to those women (or sometimes men) who disrupted the social order or with whom they had quarreled. The practice of and belief in witchcraft was a way to re-assert control over one's circumstances, for good or ill. The author asserts that the way common villagers viewed witchcraft was different than those magistrates or ministers who viewed witchcraft as diabolical heresy. I was impressed that the author mentions in the afterword the common nature of premodern witch trials and contemporary 'witch hunts' (e.g. McCarthyism)--externalized fear and anxiety, rather than an effort at self-inquiry and acknowledgement that we have some part to play in our own misfortunes.

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read Richard Godbeer's Escaping Salem: The Other Witch Hunt of 1692 in grad school. I decided to re-read it after my trip to Salem, MA. Godbeer writes a narrative history of the witch hunt in Stamford and Fairfield, Connecticut in 1692. It focuses on the accused witches - Elizabeth Clawson and Mercy Disborough - and the accuser - Elizabeth Branch. This is a short book that is very accessible to any reader.

Godbeer's book offers a view of a different type of witch hunt in 1692. He argues the Connecticut witch hunt was the more normal witch hunt for New England in the 1600s than the larger and more infamous Salem witch hunt. Godbeer shows how the people of Connecticut didn't immediately jump to witchcraft and how many of the locals remained divided as to whether Branch was faking or not. By using the legal records of the trials, he shows how the judges approached the case with caution. They believed in witches, but they thought it very difficult to prove witchcraft in a legal case. In the Afterward, Godbeer relates this "process of empirical verification" to a type of "scientific supernaturalism" (142). Unlike in Salem, neither accused witch was executed.

Godbeer heavily relies upon the trial records for his narration. He also provides a Select Bibliography at the end of the book for further reading and research.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in American witch trials, New England history, and or early American history.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book and a nice quick read.

I had to read Escaping Salem for my American Religion class in University. To be completely honest, if I would have stumbled across this book on my own, instead of it being assigned I would have read it.

Escaping Salem, takes on a very narrative perspective.. almost like a historical fiction would. Towards the end of the book however, more actual information form the cases and events get pushed towards you in a very non narrative way.

[Dawn Fortenberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have read numerous accounts of the notorious Salem witch trials. this is about a different event that took place just after the Salem trials, in Connecticut. it paints a very different picture of how accusations of witchcraft were generally handled in the early days of our country and made me wonder just why things at Salem were allowed to get so out of hand. in the afterword, the author actually offers some insight on this. extremely interesting reading.

[Sara Thomsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like the Salem witch trials you will love this book. This book covers the trial of Elizabeth Clawson and Mercy Disborough who were both accused of witchcraft. The book was a little too factual and told a lot of the court documents, but I prefer more historical fiction. I would give it an 8.7 out of 10 because it was hard for me to read due to the factual research-based writing. But all in all, it is a good book.

[Monica Pruitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

very refreshing to read about less hectic witch hunts and trials that took place, unlike those from in Salem. i'm glad that by this time the court system needed more proof even though some of the proof they tried to get was beyond weird. also funny that the "fits" of Kate's read in a bias way which, fair enough. and then the wrap up of witch hunts being compared to modern day politics - it just never ends.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a wonderfully informative read. The author finds a nice balance of historical fact and personal conjecture (but remains clear which is which).
I found myself getting spooked, frustrated, angry and sad over the entire ordeal.

If you are interested in the Witch Hunts of the late 1600s, then I definitely recommend this book.

[sara alhawari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book for my Apush summer reading assignment and for such an interesting topic I was pretty disappointed. It was really hard to get into and to actually bring myself to read. It was incredibly slow paced and overall a bore. However, I’m giving it 3 stars because although it was disappointing it was written really well.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

AN easy read about a witchcraft accusation in Connecticut around the same time as the one in Sam occurred. It was a good read to learn that not all incidents were the same and to get a different view from the time period of the mindset of people then.

[Matthew McDonough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough and informative, if at times repetitive. It provides a much-needed counter narrative to the hysteria of Salem - and the belief that the Salem hysteria was par for the course in 17th century New England.

3.5 ⭐

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was pretty interesting. I recommend it as a quick read for anyone who likes witch trials. Ultimately, it goes into why witch trials were and are conducted, so definitely read the afterword if you're going to read it.

[Hannah Vraspir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because it felt more like a novel than an actual history book and I would recommend it for people who really enjoy the witch trials and want to learn about how it went down in a different colony but also how it would have usually looked during the time!

[John Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a an excellent, fairly short book, that offers a new angle of witch trials in New England in the era of Salem. I assign it in my undergrad classes and it works well. Smoothly written. A good blend of narrative and analysis.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insight to what was happening in Connecticut just after the Salem Trials in Massachusetts. Easy read.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Wish there had been more documentation

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and I learned a lot