In this episode of Witch Hunt, host Antonio Stuckey narrates the life and tragic fate of Martha Carrier, a victim of the Salem Witch Trials. Described by some contemporaries as a “rampant hag” and “the queen in hell,” Martha Carrier has long fascinated people with her take-no-grief attitude in court and her steadfast denial of guilt.
Born Martha Allen in Andover, she married Thomas Carrier and faced suspicion and accusations of witchcraft after a smallpox epidemic hit her community. Despite maintaining her innocence, Martha and her children were arrested and coerced into confessions. She was convicted based on biased testimonies and hanged on August 19, 1692. Her name was cleared in 1711, and she is remembered with memorials honoring her strong character.
Witch Hunt: The Once and Future Witch Hunt with Alice Markham-Cantor
Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience
Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692
Bernard Rosenthal, editor, Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt
Richard Hite, In the Shadow of Salem: The Andover Witch Hunt of 1692
Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege
Stacy Schiff, The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem
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