Witchcraft and Possession in Early America

This course will explore the phenomenon of witchcraft in colonial Anglo-America. Starting with an overview of its English origins, the course will move to an examination of the witch trials (with a particular focus on Salem as a case study) and explore the various religious, economic, and gendered reasons behind their emergence, as well as why they generally petered out by the eighteenth century. Contemporary psychological analyses of belief in witchcraft and the phenomenon of possession will be examined as well. We will also be looking at African and Native American traditions of witchcraft and comparing/contrasting them with Anglo ones. The course will end with reflection on its legacy in American culture, especially with regards to the practice of wicca, popular television shows, and the commercialization of Salem as a tourist destination.