Books by Chadwick Hansen
Witchcraft at Salem
by Chadwick Hansen
First released in 1969, Witchcraft at Salem was one of the first of a new wave of scholarly books on the subject of the Salem Witch Trials. Chadwick Hansen, then a professor at the University of Illinois, offered a reappraisal of the prevailing assumption that those executed were victims of a mass hysteria, arguing that witchcraft was widely practiced in 1690s Salem, and that—according to the culture of the time—"there was every reason to regard [this alleged witchcraft] as a criminal offense."
Richard Trask, historian and town archivist for Danvers (the Massachusetts town formerly known as Salem Village), told Five Books that Chadwick's book "was and is filled with original insights. I believe it a pioneering work."
Interviews where books by Chadwick Hansen were recommended
The Best Books on the Salem Witch Trials
There are dozens of books about the Salem Witch Trials—some more reliable and readable than others. We’ve put together a list of the most notable—from The Crucible to a recent, illuminating work of narrative nonfiction—to help you find the most worthwhile.
