Governor Peter Shumlin 109 State
I am writing to you in order to express the concern of the people of Vermont on the current Socio-economic, political, legal and cultural issues, Self-determination, land resources, current adoption/foster care programs…
Benjamin C. Ray, \"The Salem
This paper examines the 2010 article, "'The Salem Witch Mania': Recent Scholarship and American
History Textbooks," by author Benjamin C. Ray. He challenges the contemporary narrative of the infamous Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts during the 17th century. According to Ray, that historical narrative is based largely on the evolution of an inaccurate consensus built on characterizations and conclusions in secondary sources that do not necessarily comport with the historical record reflected in primary sources. In particular, Ray argues that none of the traditional foci on social, political, and interpersonal conflicts emphasized by contemporary historical texts were the principal causes of the phenomenon. Rather, according to Ray, religious paranoia and the vitriolic attacks of one preacher in particular against non-members of the dominant church were to blame.