17th century New England saw its fair share of witch hysteria, with neighbors accusing neighbors of heresy. Some of the most infamous trials played out in Salem, Massachusetts, but as a new ...

US News: The Salem witch trials, a dark chapter in colonial Massachusetts history (1692-1693), saw over 200 accused and 20 executed for witchcraft. Fueled by s ...

American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond By Jeremy Dauber Algonquin 480 pages We may earn a commission when you buy products through the links on our site.

Other elements of the Wicked Witch’s signature look, including her black wardrobe, pointy hat, and long, crooked nose, were associated with witches long before The Wizard of Oz.

Jeremy Dauber’s “American Scary” traces the uncanny origins of the spookiest stories told in our young nation.

What The Evidence Really Says About The Role Of Dogs At the Salem Witch Trials It was 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. Witches were on trial — but so were the town’s dogs.

During the Salem witch trials, dogs were entangled in the hysteria, often seen as familiars or manifestations of the devil. While folklore suggests some were killed, official records lack evidence.

Published: October 15, 2024 8:29am EDT An illustration of a court scene during the late-17th century witch trials in Salem, Mass. Christine_Kohler/iStock via Getty Images Plus ...

Indeed, Reverend Parris condemned the ritual, which itself seemed to be its own kind of witchcraft. Fear and distrust All around, Salem's witch trials seem to have been bad for dogs.

Some popular accounts of the trials also suggest that at least two dogs were killed during the trials, but there is no evidence supporting this in the official legal testimony of the time.

The witch trial craze in Salem Village faded in 1693, possibly due in part to the public stance taken by prominent anti-witch-trial figures like Puritan minister Cotton Mather.