Before Salem, there was Connecticut.

In this episode of Lunatics Radio Hour, Abby Brenker sits down with historian Josh Hutchinson to explore the Connecticut Witch Trials, which spanned 1647 to 1697 and led to 11 executions decades before the events in Salem.

They discuss the Puritan beliefs and English laws that shaped colonial prosecutions, the role of coerced confessions and spectral evidence, and the social instability that fueled accusations. The episode examines cases including Alse (Alice) Young, Mary Johnson, Goody Bassett, Goodwife Knapp, Katherine Harrison, and the 1662 Hartford executions.

Josh also shares insights from his work with the Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project and discusses ongoing efforts to formally clear the names of those convicted.

A factual look at one of early America’s lesser known chapters of legal and religious history.

Sources discussed include:
– Amanda Pitts, NBC CT https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/four-decades-before-salem-there-were-witch-trials-in-connecticut/3407226/
– Research by Josh Hutchinson https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mary-johnson-witch/
– William K. Holdsworth, The New England Quarterly
– Godbeer, Escaping Salem
– Brian Levack, The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe
– Carol Karlsen, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman
– Connecticut Colony Code of 1642

Other links mentioned in the episode:
https://connecticutwitchtrials.org/trail/
change.org/witchtrials
https://endwitchhunts.org/

Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep.

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This week Abby and Alex present two stories for your enjoyment.

In The Light of The Wisps was written by Marisca Pichette. Follow them on Instagram @marisca_write or check out their website: www.mariscapichette.com

Airbag was written by Mike Macera. Follow Mike on Instagram and @mikemacera and check out his website: https://www.scene3.co/films

Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep.

Consider donating and volunteering with organizations like National Immigration Project, Immigrant Defense Project, Legal Aid Justice Center, Amica Center and the ACLU.

Thanks to a post by @thefinancialdiet for originally shouting out this information.

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This week Abby and Alan discuss the real history of the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island, from the first English expeditions to the colony’s unexplained disappearance in 1590.

We talk through the major historical theories, including integration with Indigenous tribes, disease, violence, the supernatural and failed rescue attempts. Finally, we explore how this mystery shaped modern horror, including references in Storm of the Century by Stephen King and American Horror Story.

Get Lunatics Merch here. Join the discussion on Discord. Check out Abby's book Horror Stories. Available in eBook and paperback. Music by Michaela Papa, Alan Kudan & Jordan Moser. Poster Art by Pilar Keprta @pilar.kep.

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Consider joining our Patreon for bonus episodes, spooky literature and deep dives into horror and history. Click here to learn more.

Consider donating and volunteering with organizations like National Immigration Project, Immigrant Defense Project, Legal Aid Justice Center, Amica Center and the ACLU.

Thanks to a post by @thefinancialdiet for originally shouting out this information.

Support the show