After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal

Day in the Life of a Salem Puritan

Jan 8, 2026
Dive into the chilling life of Salem Village in 1692, where daily routines involved early prayers and a breakfast of beer and pottage. Discover the stark contrasts between Salem Village and Town, highlighting Puritan extremism and community power. Explore the dynamics surrounding Tituba and the role of otherness in witchcraft accusations. Maddy and Anthony shed light on the tensions that led to hysteria and devastation within the community, ultimately revealing the trials' lasting legacy and the characters behind the infamous events.
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INSIGHT

Daily Life Framed As Spiritual Warfare

  • Puritan life in Salem was governed by a worldview that framed labour and piety as defenses against sin and the devil.
  • That constant spiritual vigilance made communities highly anxious and primed for moral panic.
INSIGHT

Puritan Purity Concentrated Power

  • The Puritans' aim to 'purify' the church created extreme religious norms that concentrated power in charismatic leaders.
  • That concentration of spiritual authority helped fuel the witchcraft accusations when fear spiked.
INSIGHT

Material Hardship Amplified Fear

  • Salem's population was small, poor, and socially tense, with domestic slavery and disease shaping daily life.
  • Those material stresses magnified fears of otherness and supernatural threats.
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