Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project
Introduction:
The infamous Salem Witch Trials were a series of prosecutions sparked by rampant Puritan fear of witchcraft. The trials began in the spring of 1692 after several young women in Salem, Massachusetts claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused other locals of being responsible for their conditions. Widespread accusations and hysteria followed and eventually more than 150 individuals including children were put on trial for suspected witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials led to the hanging of 19 people and lasted until early winter of 1693. The Salem Witch Trails Project is an online archive that includes public records, personal documents,maps, and images to provide a comprehensive overview of this dark chapter in colonial history.
Sources:
The archival site was produced by Professor Benjamin C. Ray of the University of Virginia in partnership with Professor Bernard Rosenthal of Binghamton University. The collection was also made possible with research aid and funding of organizations that include American Academy of Religion and the UVA SpecLab. Together, the project group complied court records, record ledgers, images of original court documents, diary entires, letters, sermons, and maps to give an overall view of the trials and the historical context they occurred in. The sources of these items were found in the archives of the Boston Public Library, Massachusetts Historical Society, Massachusetts Archives, Judicial Archives Boston, Peabody Essex Museum,Maine Historical Society, and the New York Public Library.
Processes:
The project is a result of digitally transcripts or scans of originally handwritten documents plus computerized timelines, maps and text analysis. The site does well by including two large interactive components with the Important Persons in the Salem Court Records and the Map of Salem pages. Several prolific names are hyperlinked to more in depth biographies and images that are relevant to the individual. The Map of Salem allows further exploration by showing the houses of the accused and accusers plus the chronological spread of the trial across the Village. There is also a text search option that allows users to navigate the site with specific research in mind.
Presentation:
On first glance, the site is extremely dated and suffers from a drab gray, blue and burgundy color scheme. The first page lacks compelling use of images and opts for texts to be the main focal point instead. But where the sites fails in aesthetic, it makes up for in organization instead. The document categories are separated and are easy to navigate. The actual project and the production behind it are sectioned and distinguished clearly from one another as well. The archive is presented in a way that can be utilized by the average curious user or distinguished academic. I would definitely recommend the site to others because it offers great indepth representations of the period and vital information surrounding the individuals involved. Its only real fault is it was just made during a less pretty time of the interrnet.