KNOXVILLE — Mary Beth Norton is a leading scholar of early America and the author of a prize-winning book on the Salem Village witchcraft trials of 1692. She’s also the descendant of a woman who was convicted of being a witch during those trials.

Norton brings her expertise to the University of Tennessee on April 5 to lecture on “Salem Witchcraft: Myth and Reality.” Her presentation, which is free and open to the public, begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Shiloh Room (Room 235) of the University Center.

Part of an annual series, the event is sponsored by the Milton M. Klein History Studies Endowment, established by Klein’s widow, Margaret Klein, to honor his many years of distinguished service as professor of history and university historian.

A reception will follow Norton’s lecture. Parking is available for a fee at the University Center garage.

Norton is the Mary Donlon Alger Professor of American History at Cornell University. Her many books on early America include “The British-Americans,” “Liberty’s Daughters,” “Founding Mothers and Fathers,” and a prize-winning book on the Salem Witchcraft trials, “In the Devil’s Snare.”

Norton’s distant relative, Mary Bradbury, was convicted in the New Salem witch trials, but Bradbury wasn’t hanged because her husband broke her out of jail.

Norton has held fellowships from the Rockefeller, Guggenheim, and Mellon foundations and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

For more information about the lecture, contact the history department at 974-5421 or Professor Daniel Feller at dfeller@utk.edu

—

For more information about Norton and her books see these three Web sites:

http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/02/12.12.02/Norton-witch_book.html

http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375706905

http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/catalog/results2.pperl?authorid=22365

—

Contacts:
Dan Feller, (865) 974-7077, dfeller@utk.edu
Amy Blakely, (865) 974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu

—

Share this story!

• 

Related Stories from Tennessee Today

1. ‘Rescued Scholar’ to Speak at Baker Center Luncheon April 23 (April 15, 2008)
2. ‘Rescued Scholar’ from Belarus to Speak at Baker Center Luncheon (April 14, 2008)
3. New Testament Scholar to Speak at UT Jan. 27 (January 19, 2011)
4. Civil War Scholar, Lincoln Expert to Speak at UT (March 12, 2008)
5. National Leaders To Speak at UT April 12 (April 8, 2002)
6. Scholar, Political Activist Noam Chomsky to Speak at UT Knoxville (January 21, 2011)
7. Scholar of Victorian Poetry, Theater to Speak Tomorrow at UT (February 7, 2011)
8. ‘Nature’ Magazine Editor M. Mitchell Waldrop to Speak at UT April 12 (April 4, 2011)