
In the throes of a New‑England winter, a community gripped by fear turns its gaze inward, suspecting neighbors of dark, unseen forces. Through the eyes of two influential ministers, the narrative follows the frantic spread of witchcraft accusations that begin with a single family’s distress and quickly engulf the whole town. Their detailed accounts reveal how religious fervor, personal vendettas, and the weight of authority combine to create a climate where rumor masquerades as evidence.
The work offers a vivid portrait of colonial life, from the austere piety of Puritan settlements to the raw panic that drives ordinary citizens to drastic measures. Readers hear the clamor of courtroom drama, the whispered testimonies of afflicted children, and the uneasy calculations of leaders torn between justice and hysteria. By the close of the first act, the stage is set for a tragic cascade of trials that will test the very foundations of belief and community.
Full title
The Wonders of the Invisible World Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches
Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (459K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Julie Barkley, S.D., and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2009-04-06
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1663–1728
A towering voice in colonial New England, this Puritan minister wrote hundreds of works on religion, science, and everyday life. He is still remembered for his complicated role in the Salem witch trials and for supporting smallpox inoculation in Boston.
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1639–1723
A major figure in early colonial New England, he was a Puritan minister, writer, and longtime leader of Harvard who helped shape religious and political life in Massachusetts. He is also closely linked to the turbulent years around the Salem witch trials, when his caution about spectral evidence became especially influential.
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by Robert Calef, Cotton Mather

by Robert Calef, Cotton Mather

by Robert Calef, Cotton Mather