May 19, 1780 started like any other day. The sun rose, farmers went to work, shopkeepers opened their stores, and people moved about their morning routines. But by late morning, across much of New England and parts of eastern Canada, something strange began to…
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In a bizarre legal footnote to American religious history—and a final echo of the spectral hysteria that once gripped colonial New England—the last case resembling a witchcraft trial in the United States began not in the 17th century, but in 1878. Nearly two centuries…
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On February 6, 1978, one of the most destructive winter storms in U.S. history struck New England with unprecedented force. The Blizzard of 1978 would paralyze the region for days, stranding thousands, shutting down major highways, and causing widespread devastation. By the time the…
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On October 22, 1844, nothing happened. It was a typical day in the United States, but for tens of thousands of followers of William Miller, a Baptist preacher in Massachusetts, the day was the most disappointing day of their lives because that was supposed…
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