The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials

Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack

Witch trials shaped colonial America, and the Salem witch trials of 1692-1693 produced the largest witchcraft accusation outbreak in American history. The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials examines a different topic, person, or place connected to the Salem witch hunt each week, with witch trial descendants and experts Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack joined by guest historians, authors, and researchers. At 15 minutes a week, it is one of the most focused in-depth guides to Salem witch trials history available. Also from the hosts: Salem Witch Trials Daily and The Thing About Witch Hunts. #witch

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The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials

Episodes (144)

Jun 14th Anatomy of a Witch Trial: The Case Against Bridget Bishop
Jun 7th Bridget Bishop: The First Person Executed in the Salem Witch Trials
May 31st Salem Witch Trials Court: How the Court of Oyer and Terminer Worked in 1692

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials

Jun 14, 2026
19½ minutes
18 MB

We dig into original Salem Witch Trials documents to map, step by step, how Bridget Bishop moved from first mention to execution—and how “evidence” worked in 1692. Using the arrest warrant (April 18, 1692), competing examination records by Ezekiel Cheever and Samuel Parris, and a trail of statements, depositions, and jail paperwork, we trace the case built on spectral evidence, old grievances framed as supernatural harm, and accusations drawn from other prisoners’ confessions. We follow Bridget through transfers between Salem and Boston jails, the June 2 physical search for “witches’ teats,” five indictments for afflicting the core afflicted girls, and the death warrant orderi...

The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials

Anatomy of a Witch Trial: The Case Against Bridget Bishop

Josh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack

00:00 -19:26