About Witches & Me

Use of the term “witch”: In 17th-century Massachusetts Bay, accused witches were not practicing witches but innocent victims. To me, it is important to honor their sacrifices and their lives by remembering them. Using the term “witch” throughout this website, on my social media pages, and in my e-newsletters is not intended to denigrate accused witches or offend their descendants or relatives.

Disclosure: My website features a Bookshop page and affiliate links. In November 2021, I partnered with Bookshop.org, where you can buy books online and support local bookstores. If you purchase from my shop or through my affiliate links, I earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases. That referral fee comes out of their pocket, not yours. Affiliate links may appear in emails and social media posts from me too. I do not have any endorsements, sponsorships, and the like for creating and maintaining this website. All other links are to resources that I’ve found along the research trail. Hopefully, you’ll find some that lead you to new discoveries. See Privacy Policy.

Witches of Massachusetts Bay is updated regularly. However, the site owner is not responsible for incorrect or out-of-date information. If you have corrections, suggestions, updates, or events, please contact me. Thanks.

IMPORTANT! Historical societies, libraries, museums, businesses, and attractions may keep seasonal hours, so contact them directly for schedules, fees, access to materials, and exhibit details.

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I’m a witch-hunt historian. For 20+ years I’ve been researching the topic. I can tell how Charles W. Upham‘s revisionist history and Arthur Miller’s artistic license with The Crucible have crept into the American story, changing how we view the past.

Every year my daughter and I visit Salem, Massachusetts. It’s our pilgrimage to the victims of the 1692 witch hunt—and because we enjoy the special vibe of the city. We’ve been on Salem’s historical walking tours and trolley tours as well as visited many of the witch-hunt attractions over the years.

But there’s much more to explore. The people and places associated with witch hunts were all over Massachusetts Bay. The Witches of Massachusetts Bay website was created to highlight key locations and events, whether you’re headed on a roadtrip, interested in a lunchtime talk on John Proctor, ready for an immersive experience, or doing armchair research.

By searching for witch-hunt connections, I hope to expand my own understanding, because, ultimately, I think witch hunts have much to teach us as individuals and as a society. Some of the accused may have dabbled in fortunetelling, folk-healing, and the like, but they were not witches who made pacts with the devil, performed Satanic rites, or shapeshifted to harm their neighbors. They were ordinary people with flaws, just like you and me.

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Robin C. Mason is an editor, writer, and genealogist.

Find me on Twitter@witchesmassbay, where I tweet about news, discoveries, and happenings related to colonial witchcraft. #SalemWitchTrials #HistoryMatters #WitchesMassBay