The Katherine Branch Witch Trials

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Salem, Massachusetts is infamous for its witch trials. However, after the hysteria of Salem, Stamford, Connecticut was put in a supernatural frenzy with the Katherine Branch witch trials. This kind of accusation was uncommon in a small 17th- century Puritan town. The Katherine Branch witch trials give an inside look at the social, religious, and legal workings in a Puritan society. One important aspect of Puritan society was their close knit sense of community. In Stamford, Connecticut, a town of only 500 people, many houses were bundled together near the meeting house so that the neighbors would be able to easily look after each other. The trials soon divided many of the once close neighbors. Puritans’ faith was central to their lives.

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