317. What Were the Salem Witch Trials? (Engli...

Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most famous historical objects in the world: the Bayeux Tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry is a huge piece of embroidered cloth, about 70 metres long, covered with pictures showing kings, soldiers, ships, horses and battles. It was created a ...  Show more

British food has a bit of a reputation. I’m sure that for a lot of you, the words “British food” brings to mind boiled vegetables, overcooked meat, greasy breakfasts, and meals that are, above all, rather bland. British cuisine is often compared unfavourably with the food of coun ...  Show more

In this episode, we'll explore the eerie events of the Salem Witch Trials, a chilling tale of suspicion, fear, and injustice in 17th-century Massachusetts. Discover how a village turned against itself, leading to the execution of innocent people amidst accusations of witchcraft, ...  Show more

For more than two centuries, between the late 1400s and early 1700s, a terror of witches gripped Europe. From Scotland to Spain, thousands of people were accused, tortured and executed. But as the hysteria faded in Europe, it crossed the Atlantic. In 1692, in New England, it took ...  Show more

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the outbreak of witch trials in Massachusetts in 1692-3, centred on Salem, which led to the execution of twenty people, with more dying in prison before or after trial. Some were men, including Giles Corey who died after being pressed with heavy ro ...  Show more

More than 200 accused, 20 executed and a village plagued with hysteria. Were the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and 1693 the work of superstition, a power struggle, fungus or actual witchcraft? What makes them stand out in the history of witch trials?

In this episode, Do ...