Skip to content
Clark University
  • Media Relations
Suggest a Story
ClarkNow logo
  • Topics
  • All Stories
  • In the News
  • Expert Sources
  • Podcasts
      • Info For

        • Media Relations
Suggest a Story

Witchcraft and the Fate of Women in Colonial Society with Rachel Christ-Doane ’17

October 21, 2022

Rachel Christ-Doane ’17 didn’t know much about Salem or witchcraft until she landed an internship with the Salem Witch Museum as a sophomore at Clark. Now, she’s the museum’s education director, and her research has led the museum to update content in its exhibits. Christ-Doane tells us about her recent discovery of a “treasure trove” of information about the youngest victim of the trials, 4-year-old Dorothy Good.

“She’s accused, she’s arrested, she’s in jail for about seven or eight months, and her mother is executed during the trials. When this child is released, she’s so traumatized that she is never able to really recover,” Christ-Doane says. “She’s been my primary focus this year, and her story is staying with me because it’s just so awful. It speaks to witchcraft history, but more broadly, the fate of women in colonial society.”

Christ-Doane suggests the book “A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience” by Emerson Baker to anyone who wants to learn more. 

Challenge. Change. is produced by Melissa Hanson and Andrew Hart for Clark University. Find other episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

  • Apply Undergrad
  • Apply Grad
  • Give
  • Contact Us
Helpful Links
  • Report a Concern
  • Offices
  • Campus Safety
  • Employment
  • Healthy Clark Dashboard
  • Website Feedback
Follow Us
  • See more of us on Facebook
  • See more of us on Twitter
  • See more of us on Instagram
  • See more of us on TikTok
  • See more of us on YouTube
  • See more of us on LinkedIn
Clark University footer logo Return to Clark University Homepage
Challenge Convention.
Change Our World.
508-793-7711
950 Main Street Worcester, MA 01610
Copyright © 2023 Clark University Public Information | Privacy Policy | Website Accessibility | Nondiscrimination Policy