Could FDS do a segment on the Salem Witch Trials?

Somewhat related to this I’m reading a book by Abrah Arneson called the Vessel- Women, Plants, and Contraception.

She’s an herbalist but discusses the possibility of the burning of witches to be related to the need for increased population (due to industries needing more workers) and the fact that women with education in herbs were able to help other women prevent pregnancy.

The book brings up a lot of issues around the control of women through forced childbearing not that different than what we’re seeing today with Roe vs Wade.

Witches and beer go hand in hand. Hear me out: "Much of the iconography we associate with witches today, from the pointy hat to the broom, may have emerged from their connection to female brewers." These women wore tall pointy hats (to stand out in a marketplace), and stood in front of a bubbling cauldron. They also had cats to keep the mice away. "Up until the 1500s, brewing was primarily women’s work—that is, until a smear campaign accused women brewers of being witches. " It's only womens work till there is profit. Male brewers took advantage of the religious reformation movement to accuse female brewers of being witches. It was a convenient way to reduce competition, with death. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/women-used-dominate-beer-industry-until-witch-accusations-started-pouring-180977171/

"The Burning Times" is an excellent documentary about the witch trials in Europe. It's free on YouTube. I recommend it to anyone interested in this dark time in history.

The way I heard it, the Salem witches were Irish women with strong opinions. Misogyny and racism. The US was nuts when it first started! ( hmmm…..)