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The Salem Witch Trials Podcast

Greg Houle

The Salem Witch Trials Podcast takes a fast-paced and episodic examination of the witch hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The brief yet insightful episodes harness the knowledge of experts to help illuminate both the chronology of events as well the deeper context surrounding the witch crisis, giving listeners a better understanding of this fascinating and tragic event in early American history.

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23 episodes
Avg 24 min
English

Episodes 23

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S2 · E6
October 31 · 50 min
Salem's Enduring Questions
It's been 334 years since the Salem witch trials. Why do these events continue to fascinate us? In this episode, we travel to Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) in Kentucky, where six students studying the witch trials share their perspectives on the people, decisions, and enduring questions surrounding the witch crisis of 1692. The panelist from OCTC: First group: Mercedes Kirtley Lorelai Kirtley Guscilla "Gus" Johnson Second group: Associate Professor of Psychology Jessica Hodges Charlie Carr Calvin Mindrup
S2 · E5
October 8 · 30 min
Believing in Witches
What did it mean to be a witch in 1692? In this episode, we explore how the Puritans understood witches, satan, and the supernatural. And we address why those beliefs were so central to the tragedy. ----more---- Join host Greg Houle in Owensboro, Kentucky! He'll be at Owensboro Community and Technical College for two special events: October 19, 6:30 p.m. CT: Talking about his family's connection to the Salem witch trials. October 20, 12:30 p.m. CT: A panel discussion with OCTC students. Both events are free, open to the public. If you can't be there, join the livestream: https://www.facebook.com/OwensboroCTC ----more---- Learn more about Greg Houle's book, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials
S2 · E4
August 27 · 27 min
Ordinary Lives
What was everyday life like in Salem in 1692? In this episode, we look beyond the witch crisis to explore the work, routines, and relationships that shaped the people at the center of the storm.
S2 · E3
June 19 · 28 min
Who Owns Salem?
The Salem witch trials ended more than three centuries ago, but the story has never truly stopped. This episode explores how the legacy of this historical crisis has been claimed, reinvented, memorialized, commercialized, and contested across generations.
S2 · E2
May 5 · 25 min
The Man Who Put Salem Back Together
When the witch crisis of 1692 faded, Salem Village was left to live with what it had done. This episode examines how Reverend Joseph Green guided this damaged community through its long and uncertain aftermath. Joining us is Dan Lipcan, the Ann C. Pingree Director of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum, which has in its collection the diary of Reverend Green.
S2 · E1
February 27 · 23 min
Tituba and the Fear That Made a Witch
WE'RE BACK! In the first episode of our second season, we trace the story of Tituba, an enslaved Indigenous woman and the first person accused of witchcraft in 1692. With the help of historian Matt Alschbach, we examine her story within the broader context of seventeenth-century folk medicine, race, and Puritan theology, exploring how fear breeds suspicion, and how suspicion so often settles on the margins. If you’re interested in joining host Greg Houle for his live online course, The Salem Witch Trials: Fear, Myth & Meaning, you can register here. You can also explore Greg Houle’s historical novel, The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Nov 27, 2025 · 3 min
Welcome Back to Salem: Season 2 Preview
Season 2 of The Salem Witch Trials Podcast is coming. We go beyond the timeline of 1692 to explore the deeper forces that shaped the crisis. From war to religion to community tensions to psychology to power, join us as we further uncover the reasons why this tragic event took place, why it mattered then, and why it still matters today. Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E37
Oct 10, 2025 · 14 min
BONUS: The Putnams of Salem: The Audiobook
Experience The Putnams of Salem in a whole new way. Narrated by author Greg Houle and his daughter Addy, the audiobook brings to life the haunting and twisted tale of Thomas and Ann Putnam Jr. who are Greg and Addy's real-life ancestors at the heart of the Salem witch crisis. Get The Putnams of Salem on Audible And stay tuned for Season 2 of The Salem Witch Trials Podcast is coming very soon!
S1 · E36
Mar 27, 2025 · 9 min
A Reflection on Our First Season
In the last episode of season one, we reflect on what we've learned so far. And look ahead to season two. You can contact host Greg Houle at greg@theputnamsofsalem.com Learn more about host Greg's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E35
Mar 3, 2025 · 20 min
Suspicion and Fear Consume Wilmot Redd
Long the subject of whispers and suspicion, Wilmot Redd lived miles from the witch hysteria’s epicenter in Salem Village. Yet, as paranoia spread in the spring of 1692, she got caught in its grip, condemned not by evidence, but by growing fear.
S1 · E34
Feb 18, 2025 · 16 min
The Patriarchy Takes Down Ann Pudeator
Ann Pudeator was a twice-widowed caregiver whose independence and outsider status made her a target during the Salem witch trials. We explore how this elderly, independent woman stoked societal fears, and reveal how deeply the patriarchy influenced the witch hysteria in 1692. As well as how courageously Ann stood her ground until the end. Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E33
Feb 4, 2025 · 33 min
The Last Witch
We're joined by Annika Hylmö, the writer and director of The Last Witch, a documentary currently in production that follows a North Andover teacher and her middle school students in their campaign to exonerate Elizabeth Johnson Jr., the last person convicted during the Salem witch trials. To learn more about The Last Witch and how you can support the film, visit thelastwitchfilm.com
S1 · E32
Jan 20, 2025 · 22 min
The Courageous Mary Easty
By all accounts, Mary Easty was a pious and well-respected woman. Yet she was swept up in the witch hunt anyway. Her unwavering declarations of innocence, brave defense, and heartfelt fight against further bloodshed left a lasting legacy, even as she became one of the final victims of the hysteria. Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E31
Jan 7, 2025 · 22 min
A Grumpy Old Man Gets Targeted
George Jacobs Sr., a fiery-tempered and outspoken man more than 80 years old, finds himself at the center of the witch hunt. His sharp tongue and abrasive personality made him an easy mark in a community gripped by fear. Learn more about host Greg Houle's novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E30
Dec 18, 2024 · 23 min
Elizabeth Howe's Past Comes Back to Haunt Her
Elizabeth Howe seemed just like any other hard-working Puritan in seventeenth-century New England, but her past came back to haunt her once the witch crisis exploded in the spring of 1692. Her tragic story highlights the fear and scapegoating that fueled the witch hysteria. Learn more about host Greg Houle's new novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E29
Dec 3, 2024 · 21 min
The Infamous Susannah Martin
An early settler of Salisbury, Massachusetts, Susannah Martin's reputation, as well as a series of accusations made against her earlier in her life, meant that she was destined to become a target of the witch hunt. Learn more about host Greg Houle's new novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E28
Nov 19, 2024 · 32 min
The Mayhem Spreads West
We discuss how the frontier town of Andover, MA, located a dozen miles west of Salem, gets caught up in the growing witch hysteria in 1692. We're joined by Martha Tubinis, director of programs at the Andover Center for History and Culture, and Toni Armstrong, a PhD candidate in the History of Art and Architecture at Boston University, and a Weekend Research Assistant at the Andover Center for History and Culture. Learn more about the Andover Center for History and Culture. And check out their Substack, History Buzz. Learn more about host Greg Houle's new novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E27
Nov 4, 2024 · 21 min
Martha Carrier’s Fierce Defiance
We explore the life and legacy of Martha Carrier, the first Andover resident accused of witchcraft in 1692. We’re joined by Carrier’s descendant, Alice Markham-Cantor, author of The Once and Future Witch Hunt: A Descendant’s Reckoning from Salem to the Present. Learn more about Alice Markham-Cantor and her book at her website. Be sure to check out host Greg Houle's new novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E26
Oct 17, 2024 · 18 min
Going Viral: The Future of Salem's Past
The way we learn history today is evolving. In this episode, we're joined by Emily Wolff, a history grad student who shares videos about the Salem witch trials on TikTok (@history_with_Emily). We discuss the challenges and opportunities of educating audiences on social media, and what it might mean for the future. Be sure to check out host Greg Houle's new novel: The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.
S1 · E25
Oct 1, 2024 · 54 min
Anniversary Episode: An All-Star Panel Discussion from Danvers
It’s our one year anniversary and we’re celebrating with a great discussion, recorded before a live audience at the Danvers Historical Society’s Tapley Memorial Hall in downtown Danvers, MA (formerly known as Salem Village) on September 30, 2024. The panelists include: Emerson Baker is a historical archaeologist and professor of history at Salem State University who has done extensive work around the witch crisis. He’s the author of several books, including A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience. Rachel Christ-Doane is the Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum, where she engages in research, works with students and teachers, creates educational programing as well as oversees curation and exhibition development. Her recent published articles include, “The Salem Witch Trials Memorial: Finding Humanity in Tragedy” in Smithsonian Folklife and “The Untold Story of Dorothy Good, Salem’s Youngest Accused Witch in American Ancestors. Daniel Gagnon is the author of the book, A Salem Witch: The Trial, Execution, and Exoneration of Rebecca Nurse. He also serves on the board of directors of the Rebecca Nurse Homestead Museum. For the last several years, Dan has been giving extensive tours of the area to help people better understand the witch hunt. Check out host Greg Houle's book The Putnams of Salem: A Novel of Power and Betrayal During the Salem Witch Trials.

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