Old Town Hall Salem, MA

Who would have thought of all the old buildings in Salem, MA the Old Town Hall is considered one of the most haunted buildings. What is even stranger is apparently nothing ever happened evil there. It was built around 1817. The only thing that comes to mind from what I have read is there were numerous tunnels that ran under the city of Salem. These tunnels were used by smugglers and customers of the many brothels scattered around the city.

I have walked by this building and admired it for its presentation. I seriously doubt this topic comes up in the American history classes. The schools tend to create an illusion. I honestly believe more students would pay attention if they were taught what really happened.

Growing up and living in Salem was not easy. Residents were uncomfortable most of the year. The winters were brutally cold and summers dry and hot. Not only were people miserable, but hungry. This made people ugly. The Puritans also made tons of rules that residents had to follow and there were consequences if the rules were not followed. The church had way too much power. People were dared not criticize it out of fear.

The Puritans made it especially tough on women. The pressures on the women were huge as they were expected to be the moral compass of society. If they failed they were forced to pay fines, publicly shamed, and their reputations were destroyed. What a double standard. It was common knowledge for men to visit brothels, but the women were the ones that had to walk the straight and narrow. This abuse all happened long before a woman would be accused of being a “witch”.