The Devil of Great Island by Emerson W Baker
In 1682, ten years before the infamous Salem witch trials, the town of Great Island, New Hampshire, was plagued by mysterious events: strange, demonic noises; unexplainable movement of objects; and hundreds of stones that rained upon a local tavern and appeared at random inside its walls. Town residents blamed what they called 'Lithobolia' or 'the stone-throwing devil'. In this lively account, Emerson Baker shows how witchcraft hysteria overtook one town and spawned copycat incidents elsewhere in New England, prefiguring the horrors of Salem. In the process, he illuminates a cross-section of colonial society and overturns many popular assumptions about witchcraft in the Seventeenth century.
'The witch trials of seventeenth-century New England have been extensively worked over by historians, and yet, as this fascinating book shows, there are new insights to be gained by moving the focus beyond Massachusetts and the PuritansIn this meticulously researched case study, Emerson W. Baker not only makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of supernatural beliefs in colonial North America, but also weaves an enjoyable and accessible story that leads the reader up to the events at Salem.' - Dr. Owen Davies, author of Popular Magic: Cunning-Folk in English History 'In Baker's expert hands, this long ignored witchcraft episode yields important insight into the bizarre imagination and rich social diversity of late 17th century northern New England. Here we encounter the contrasting beliefs of Quakers, Puritans, Baptists, Antinomians, and Godless fishermen as well as the clashing political interests of Native Americans, Europeans, Puritans, and Royalists. This masterful narrative of religious and social pluralism in early New England helps to refocus our vision of the foundations of America and also puts other New England witchcraft events into useful perspective.' - Benjamin C. Ray, Director, Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive, University of Virginia
EMERSON W. BAKER teaches history at Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts. He lives in York, Maine, USA.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781403972071 |
| ISBN 10 | 1403972079 |
| Title | The Devil of Great Island |
| Author | Emerson W Baker |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Publisher | Palgrave USA |
| Year published | 2007-10-01 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |