Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern Spiritualism

Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern Spiritualism is a book by Allen Putnam, first published in 1889. In this unusual and thought-provoking study of the Salem witchcraft trials and the wider phenomenon of New England witchcraft, Putnam reinterprets seventeenth-century events through the lens of nineteenth-century Spiritualism. Rather than dismissing the accusations and confessions as mere superstition or fraud, he argues that genuine spiritual manifestations and mediumistic phenomena lay behind many of the strange occurrences recorded during the Salem trials.

Drawing on court records, testimonies, and contemporary accounts, Putnam examines the experiences of the afflicted girls, the accused witches, and the ministers and magistrates who prosecuted them. He connects these episodes to modern Spiritualist practices such as trance mediumship, spirit communication, and psychic phenomena, suggesting that the people of colonial Massachusetts lacked the conceptual framework to understand what they were witnessing. The result is a detailed reinterpretation of the Salem witch trials that blends American history, occult studies, and religious debate.

As a committed Spiritualist and reform-minded thinker, Putnam approaches the subject with both historical interest and theological purpose. His work stands as a significant example of nineteenth-century occult literature, offering insight into how Spiritualism sought to reclaim and redefine earlier episodes of religious hysteria. For readers interested in Salem history, paranormal research, early American religious movements, or the intersection of witchcraft and Spiritualism, Witchcraft of New England Explained by Modern Spiritualism provides a distinctive and controversial perspective.