Witchcraft Monuments and Public Memory with Alaina Scapicchio
In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, Alaina Scapicchio discusses her research into the public memory of the American witchcraft trials, focusing specifically on monuments, memorials, and other forms of commemoration. She shares how an unexpected archival discovery about a "ducking stool" connected to George Washington's grandfather expanded her research beyond Salem to the broader colonial landscape. We also learn about her deep dive into the 1885 Rebecca Nurse monument, her use of collections at the MHS, and her thoughts on why the physical connection to historical documents and artifacts is so powerful.
Alaina Scapicchio is the recipient of an Andrew W. Mellon Short-Term Fellowship from the MHS.
To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.
Episode Special Guest:
Alaina Scapicchio is a History Ph.D. Candidate in the final year of her program at the University of South Florida. Her dissertation “Under Salem’s Spell: Enchantment and Commemoration in America’s Witch City,” tells the story of the shifting meaning given to the commemorations of the 1692 witch trials and witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.
This episode uses materials from:
Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)
