B o y e r, P a u l , a n d N i s s e n b a u m S t e p h e n . S a l e m P o s s e s s e d T h e S o c i a l O r i g i n s o f Wi t c h c r a f t . Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1974.

In writing Salem Possessed Boyar and Nissenbaum developed a thesis based around the location of the accusers and acussies. The main theory presented in the book is that the witch trials did not follow a normal pattern, the normal pastern for a trial like this would be an event would occur in a community that would scare them some manner of disease or natural disaster, this would then be blamed on a witch generally an outsider or some one on the fringes of the community that person would then be punished in some manner and the community would move on. This did not happen in the case of Salem though instead Boyar and Nissenbaum theories that the reason for the massive number of people accused of being witches is to do with the bitter struggle between Salem town the original settlement and an offshoot of it Salem village. When the trials started the pattern was followed outsiders were accused, but as things progressed people took advantage of the situation and used it to settle old grudges. Boyar and Nissenbaum do an excellent job of proving this theory they look they examine per 1692 Salem and post 1692 Salem in such a way as to place the trials in context as rather than this just odd speed bump in colonial history it is often times portrayed as. The book opens with an examination of the trials and what happened there giving a brief overview and introducing figures that will come into play later in the book. The next chapter entitled 1692: some new perspective. cast a new light on well known events such as considering why the girls themselves were not accused of witch craft and showing the relationship between accuser and acussy. The next chapter in quest of community, 1639-1687 deals primarily with the founding of the Salem Village and the struggles that went on there, from the unfair taxation to the stonewalling of approval to start the village. Chapter 3 goes on

to deal with the time and issues leading up to the trials in from 1687-1692 this chapter examines the issue surrounding the hiring of a new preacher for the village. The main issue here can dated back to the difference between town and village yet again in this instance though it is villagers who are divided but between villagers who have a connection to the town economically and socially and those who are further away. The villagers tied to Salem town were against the hiring of Samuel Parris and were located chiefly along the Ipswich road, those who were for hiring Parris were found to be further away and had less of a connection to the town. Following this the authors proceed to explain the connection and leading figures that emerge in the factions specificity the Putnam who were Pro-Parris and Pro-village and the Anti-Parris Pro-Town porter families. The following chapters deal each with the two families there perspective and were they fit into this as well as examining what Samuel Parris thought of the conflict. Finally Boyar and Nussenbaum wrap up the book with a chapter Witchcraft and Social Identity this chapter brings all these pieces together explaining that the trials in the case of Salem were all about these socioeconomic and geographic differences not really about witchcraft, and that the hard fought battles to establish Salem Village and later the new church, carved deep wounds that never really healed and the anger and fear of the trials just allowed these wounds and old hatreds to resurface.

The books key strengths lie in the way its able to categorize and present the distribution of people in Salem Village, the map describing the location of the accusers and acusies is one of the strongest pieces of evidence presented in the book. Building off of this the Authors approach the entire incident with the perspective of not looking at it in a vacuum. Boyar and Nissenbaum do not just look at the witch trials, in fact the dwell very little on the trials

themselves. If any thing could be considered a weakness in this book it would be the lack of focus on the trial, but even then the purpose of the book is not to treat the trial as a stand alone event but to place them in a much larger pattern. My own opinion of this work is that it is very well crafted it takes a hard look at an event that has largely been swept under the rug, so much so that the area was Salem Village has now changed its name and for a large part the National park service who now operate the historic areas of Salem Town do not like to speak much on it instead choosing to focus on the shipping history of the town. The fact that Boyar and Nissenbaum did such a fine work makes it no surprise
that there arguments have become the corner stone for study of Salem bringing people who both agree and disagree with there findings into the mix.