The Salem Witch Trials and the Digital Archive

By far, the records related to the Salem witch trials are the most viewed resource in the New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) digital archive. The original manuscripts in the Salem Witchcraft Trials Records, 1692 collection were digitized as part of the NEHH project with our project partners, the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum. These documents, which had not previously been digitized and were not available online, were found in the Phillips Library’s collection in 2017 by members of the CLA and Phillips Library staff.

Join NEHH Project Director Dr. Tricia Peone and Dr. Dan Lipcan for a conversation about digitizing records of the Salem witch trials and their ongoing interest to researchers and the public.

The Congregational Library & Archives is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the New England’s Hidden Histories (NEHH) project with this program series and the digital exhibition NEHH@20: Re-Examining Stories from New England Communities. Find out more on our website.

Email any questions to programs@14beacon.org.

SPEAKER BIOS

Dr. Dan Lipcan is the Ann C. Pingree Director of the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum. He leads a talented staff charged with stewarding the library's extensive and varied collection, and has curated or co-curated several exhibitions at PEM. Previously, Dan was Associate Museum Librarian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is a member of the Grolier Club, the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, and the Art Libraries Society of North America.

Dr. Tricia Peone joined the CLA in 2022 as the Project Director for New England’s Hidden Histories. Prior to joining the CLA, she was a research scholar at Historic New England for the Recovering New England’s Voices project. She has also previously worked as the public programs director at New Hampshire Humanities, a university lecturer teaching classes on the Salem witch trials, early New England, and public history, and as a researcher for cultural heritage organizations. Her scholarship focuses on early New England, particularly the history of magic and witchcraft, and her work on these subjects has appeared in journals, books, blogs, and on radio and television. She holds a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire with a specialization in the early modern Atlantic world and history of science.