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Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft, Paul Boyer and
Stephen Nissenbaum, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press copyright
1974.

The purpose of this book was to examine the history and social life of Salem Village to try to figure out what was the cause of the events that occurred there. I believe that the authors achieved their objective at least they did to me. Boyer and Nissenbaum's explanation for the outbreak of witchcraft accusations in Salem hinges on an understanding of the economic,
political and personal issues which divided village long before 1692. At bottom, geography and history divided Salem Village and Salem Town. Situated in the interior from the bustling mercantile town of Salem, Salem Village remained primarily an agricultural community. Boyer and
Nissenbaum argue that this polarization of interests between the town and the village created a similar divide within the village itself. One faction, led by the Putnam family, most identified itself......

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Approximate Word Count: 460
Approximate Pages: 2 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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