a gallows scene of women accused of witchcraft being hanged by men

The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft in Colonial New England

by Carol F. Karlsen Author

What circumstances and beliefs lead so many people in colonial North America during the 17th century to accuse women of witchcraft or spiritual possession, which ultimately caused their untimely deaths? Professor of history at the University of Michigan, Carol F. Karlsen, examines the social construction and gender relations of that time period in New England, shedding light on its peoples' biased motivations that resulted in the homocide of women who dared to exert their independence.