About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "ShortHand: Big Witch Special Part 3 - The Witches Take America" from RedHanded covers how European witch-panic took root among the settlers of New England and eventually exploded into mass hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts. For the colonists, stories of witch-hunts back in Europe were initially dismissed as idle gossip. That changed when the settlers faced inexplicable crop blights, brutal winters, and accounts of people being taken in the night by indigenous tribes. These hardships curdled into genuine suspicion of black magic.
Continuing directly from where the hosts left the story in Europe, the episode traces the journey of the witch-hunting craze across the Atlantic. It promises sinister rituals and unusual folk magic practices along the way, building toward the infamous events in the small village of Salem. As the third installment in the series, the episode functions as a bridge between the European chapters of Big Witch Special Part and the dramatic conclusion found in The Witches Take America.
Hosts and release
Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire host RedHanded, a true crime podcast that examines serial killers, cults, and lesser-known cases through a cultural lens. The show runs to roughly 400 episodes, released weekly, with this installment numbered episode 250 and running 35 minutes. It was released on October 27, 2026, and is available on Spotify and Amazon Music, with bonus content offered exclusively via Patreon.
