For the incoming Puritan settlers 17th-century New England was a place filled with fear and uncertainty. It was an environment that--coupled with a backdrop of religious extremism--bred an anxiety so intense it ultimately turned deadly. As a result of the 1692 Salem witch trials 19 men and women were hanged and one man was "pressed" to death following the untenable accusations made by several young girls from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. When the hysteria finally subsided and new community leaders came into power apologies were made and in 1711 legislation was passed that offered some financial restitution to the families of the victims. This program provides a comprehensive account of the actual events and examines the possible causes behind this highly notorious and puzzlingly complex period in early American history.