About the author
Maggi Smith-Dalton is the author of A History of Spiritualism and the Occult in Salem: The Rise of Witch City, published by History Press in 2012 and reissued in a library edition the same year. The book traces how Salem, Massachusetts, moved from the notoriety of its seventeenth-century witch trials to its later identity as a center for Spiritualism and occult practice, examining the historical figures and institutions responsible for that shift rather than the trials themselves. Smith-Dalton draws on the town's documented history - its churches, mediums, and public figures - to explain how a place associated with the persecution of supposed witches came to embrace occult and Spiritualist practice openly. The book is aimed at readers interested in New England history and in how a town's public identity can be shaped over centuries around a single, contested theme.
📖 Where to start with Maggi Smith-Dalton
💬 What our editors say about Maggi Smith-Dalton's books
“This text provides a necessary corrective to the monolithic view of Salem’s past, effectively detailing the rise of Spiritualism alongside its colonial roots. However, readers seeking deep theological analysis or academic rigor…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on A History of Spiritualism and the Occult in Salem: The Rise of Witch City
“Maggi Smith-Dalton meticulously traces Salem’s role in the rise of American Spiritualism, offering a valuable corrective to the singular focus on the 1692 trials. The book successfully maps the city's enduring connection to the…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on A History of Spiritualism and the Occult in Salem: The Rise of Witch City
