Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft

Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft is an academic work focusing on the Salem witch trials. First published by Harvard University Press in 1974, the book offers an alternative explanation for the phenomenon of witch hysteria and its special relevance to the town of Salem, Massachusetts. The book was well-received by critics for its unique approach to this familiar material. It falls into the nonfiction categories of popular culture, social sciences, and U.S. history of the colonial period. The popularity of the book reflects society's fascination with the Salem witch trials, which has resulted in numerous books on the topic, from nonfiction accounts like Carol F Karlsen's The Devil in the Shape of a Woman (1987) and Mary Beth Norton's In the Devil's Snare (2002), to fictionalized representations like Arthur Miller's The Crucible (1953), Katherine Howe's The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (2009), and Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958).

Author Paul Boyer, now deceased, was the Merle Curti Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He wrote a number of other volumes covering various stages of American history.