Before Salem: Witchcraft in Boston’s North End, 1688: Cotton Mather, Martha Goodwin, and the Making of a Witchcraft Panic

About this event

Join the Friends of the North End Branch Library in welcoming James Pasto for Before Salem: Witchcraft in Boston’s North End, 1688: Cotton Mather, Martha Goodwin, and the Making of a Witchcraft Panic .

In 1688, Boston’s North End was the scene of one of New England’s most famous witchcraft cases. Four children of the Goodwin family were believed to have been bewitched, and Cotton Mather, one of Boston’s leading Puritan ministers, became closely involved in the case. This talk examines the Goodwin case within the broader history of Puritan Boston and the beliefs, fears, and social tensions that shaped accusations of witchcraft. Drawing on insights from cultural anthropology, it explores how witchcraft beliefs function in different societies, why accusations arise, and how the events in Boston helped set the stage for the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692.

Presented by James S. Pasto, Ph.D.

Boston University and North End Historical Society

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the North End Branch of the Boston Public Library through the generosity of the John D. McGonagle Foundation.

Registration is not required.

Visit www.friendsnelibrary.org or contact info@friendsnelibrary.org with any questions!

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