Mysteries, Memories, and Metaphors: The Salem Witchcraft Trials in the American Imagination.

Examines how the 1692 Salem witchcraft trials became embedded in a variety of cultural contexts throughout American history. Their use as a literary plot device, as a metaphor during the 19th century for demonstrating the consequences of extremism in various religious and social movements, and as a moralistic referent in 20th-century commentary on controversies as diverse as the Scopes "monkey" trial and presidential impeachment has expanded the significance of the trials well beyond their actual historical import. In an essay that follows the author's analysis, historian Jill Lepore comments on the longevity and value of this expanded significance.