b"The strange behaviour of two young girls, Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris, sparked the\\xa0 infamous Salem Witch Trials on February 29th, 1692, when a Doctor pronounced that they were possessed by Satan.\\nAccusations of witchcraft snowballed in the Puritan community, leading to a frenzy of trials and hangings. Suspicions fell upon those who deviated from the norm, such as Sarah Goode and Sarah Osborne, viewed as societal outcasts, and Parris slave, Tituba.\\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how even animals fell victim to the hysteria that ensued; uncover the centuries-long wait to clear the name of the accused women; and reveal how the real cause of the panic might simply have been a Reverend\\u2019s embarrassment\\u2026\\nFurther Reading:\\n\\u2022 \\u2018History of the Salem Witch Trials\\u2019 (History of Massachusetts Blog, 2011): https://historyofmassachusetts.org/the-salem-witch-trials/\\n\\u2022 \\u2018The Mysterious Enslaved Woman Who Sparked Salem\\u2019s Witch Hunt\\u2019 (HISTORY, 2018): https://www.history.com/news/salem-witch-trials-first-accused-woman-slave\\n\\u2022 \\u2018What really happened during the Salem Witch Trials - Brian A. Pavlac\\u2019 (Ted-Ed, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVd8kuufBhM\\nLove the show? Join \\U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS \\U0001f334 to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY!\\nPlus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast.\\nJoin now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!\\nWe'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors\\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.\\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.\\n\\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices"