Program 10: The Frontier Wars | MPBN's"HOME: The Story of Maine"

Program 10: The Frontier Wars

Salem Witch Trials - 1692

Outraged by what they saw as English encroachment on their land and a disrespectful treatment of their crops, Maine's Wabanaki launched a series of raids on English settlers in the late 1600s. The Native Americans were effective warriors, using guerrilla war tactics and the element of surprise to bring terror, despair and trauma to their victims.

As a result of these raids, European investors lost fortunes and Maine's settlers fled for their lives or were kidnapped and ransomed to the French in Quebec. Many people who had been moderately wealthy now found themselves living for years as war refugees.

In this climate of despair and fear, witchcraft accusations began to appear in Salem launching a crisis of epic proportions. Because many of the key players in the Salem Witchcraft Crisis had been directly affected by Maine's Frontier Wars, recent scholarship suggests that there is a definite correlation between the unresolved trauma suffered by the survivors of the raids on York, Falmouth, and Wells, among others, and the unrestrained hysteria aroused in Salem.

Links:

SALEM WITCH TRIALS - 1692 | FRONTIER WARS 1675 TO 1759 | WABANAKI WOMEN | BIOS OF INTERVIEWEES | TRANSCRIPT

	HOME: The Story of Maine on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network was made in partnership with the Maine State Museum. Major funding was provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency committed to fostering innovation, leadership and a lifetime of learning. Additional funding provided by Elsie Viles.
Major funding for previous seasons of HOME: The Story of Maine was made possible by a grant from Rural Development, a part of the USDA. Special support is provided by The Maine State Museum and Northeast Historic Films.