It’s 1647, and in New England, where puritan settlers live in fear of God’s wrath and a hostile indigenous population, there are rumours coming from Boston, and up the Connecticut valley, that witches are to blame for the death of local children…
In today’s episode, Tom and Dominic are joined by historian Malcolm Gaskill, as they discuss witch crazes, hunts ... Show More
Jul 29
692. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: A Massacre in Paris (Part 2)
What inspired the deadliest bloodbath of the Tudor age: the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, in which protestants were slaughtered en masse? How did it drive Elizabeth I’s spy master, Francis Walsingham, to repress all treasonous activity in her realm? And, what terrible tr ... Show More
1h 11m
Jul 26
691. Elizabeth I vs The Catholics: The Queen’s Spymaster (Part 1)
How did Elizabeth I rule England? Why was she constantly in mortal peril in 1569? Who was Sir William Cecil, and why was he so crucial to her reign? And, how did his network of spies keep her alive, and England uninvaded…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the secret war ragin ... Show More
1h 12m
Jul 22
690. A Murderous Affair: Death at Mayerling (Part 2)
What really happened at the Habsburgian hunting lodge, Mayerling? Did Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, really commit a romantic murder suicide, or did the heir cold-heartedly murder the 17 year old girl? And, why did the Austrian royal family try to er ... Show More
1h 19m
Oct 2024
Inside the Witch Trials: Salem | Fear In A New World
We often think of the witch trials as something in the deep and distant past.But, as we'll hear in today's episode, the attitudes and behaviour that led to witch trials is as present today as it was then.In this third and final episode of our limited series, Inside the Witch Tria ... Show More
43 m
Apr 2025
The Salem Witch Trials
For more than two centuries, between the late 1400s and early 1700s, a terror of witches gripped Europe. From Scotland to Spain, thousands of people were accused, tortured and executed. But as the hysteria faded in Europe, it crossed the Atlantic. In 1692, in New England, it took ... Show More
58m 58s
May 2025
#548 | The Salem Witch Trials
In this episode, we'll explore the eerie events of the Salem Witch Trials, a chilling tale of suspicion, fear, and injustice in 17th-century Massachusetts. Discover how a village turned against itself, leading to the execution of innocent people amidst accusations of witchcraft, ... Show More
21m 42s
Oct 2021
SALEM EPISODE 1: Introduction
In 1692, 19 members of a small New England community were hanged for witchcraft. Over the course of the year, young girls convulsed and barked like dogs, women confessed to flying on poles to satanic sabbaths, and villagers recounted seeing ghostly apparitions and translucent cat ... Show More
18m 10s
Jul 2022
Episode 500: The Salem Witch Trials Part I - Get Your Buckles!
<p>In this, Episode 500, the boys begin the story of one of the darkest chapters in New England's History. Traveling all the way back to The Salem Witch Trials of 1692, satanic panic sweeps across Massachusetts and the Puritan Church's fear of the Devil paves a path for the hangi ... Show More
1h 51m
Oct 2022
57: The Witches are Coming - Hide Your Broom, Hide Your Goats
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. It’s spooky season babbyyy. Ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and witches. Oooo witches. It’s hard to have a spooky season without witches. But many people hundreds of years ago tried real hard to get rid of all the witches. In today’s episode we’re go ... Show More
45m 55s