 Salem Click to get the inside scoop from real travelers here at VirtualTourist. See the Salem Travel GuideInside advice from real people on:Overview, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, General Tips, Transportation, Off the Beaten Path, Tourist Traps, Warnings or Dangers, Local Customs, Packing Lists or Sports Travel.
431 Salem Tips. 896 Salem Photos. 1 Salem Videos. Salem Pages by zChris Sponsored Links for Salem
Gas Card Savings Get up to $90 in gas cards with a stay in Oregon's Mt Hood Territory.
The Ritz-Carlton Boston The Perfect Destination for A Luxurious Romantic Getaway Weekend.
Salem Hotels Find Cheap Rooms & Exclusive ORBITZ Rates at Top Salem Hotels.
Hawthorne Hotel Salem MA Charming Hotel Located in Historic Downtown Salem - North of Boston
Cheap Hotels Save up to 50% on Hotels and Now Get Our Best Price Guarantee.
|
| Page Views: 1,601 Last Visit to Salem: October, 2001 | zChris' Salem by zChris - last update: Jun 17, 2003 |
It may strike some to learn that Salem, now a quiet bedroom community north of Boston, was once the wealthiest town in the United States, and among its leading seaports.
Founded shortly after Plymouth, it served as the original capital of Massachusetts Bay Colony, though the soil quality proved unsatisfactory for John Winthrop, who soon established Boston as the colony's chief settlement. The town became notorious for its trials and executions of alleged witches during the hysteria of the 1690s, stoked by colonial officials who pursued the fundamentalist agenda of the Puritan government. Most famously, the Salem Witch Trials were chronicled in Arthur Miller's seminal drama "The Crucible." Following the trials, Salem grew and prospered, and its population exceeded that of its competitor to the south several times over the 18th century.
The city's most prosperous period came with the completion of the Revolutionary War, as opportunist merchants sponsored daring voyages to the Far East and beyond in swift frigate ships laden with local goods. Salem was wildly enriched with the return on this investment, and today the cultural treasures on display in the Peabody-Essex Museum bear witness to the once global reach of this town. The blockade by the British Navy during the War of 1812, however, was the harbinger of Salem's gradual decline, which accelerated after Massachusetts' primary economic activity shifted to industrial production and settlement of the Midwest prompted a shift in shipping volume to larger ports, especially New York.
Salem makes an easy day trip from Boston, though visitors are too often consumed with the lure of the witch trials to notice the remnants of Salem's more salubrious history. It is a shame more do not endeavour to discover the city's less tragic history. |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
zChris' Salem Travel Tips
Comments for zChris about Salem | | | | |
Pawtuxet Mon Jun 23, 2003 00:34 UTC Good job! You've highlighted many of the same places I noted in Salem. Great little town. There may be one museum I've missed...but that's about all. |
|
More Sponsored Links for Salem
Travelodge Salem Book Two Nights and Save 15% at the Official Travelodge Website.
Salem Hotels Stay Comfortable With Our 'We Promise or We Pay' Rate Guarantee!
Hotels in Salem MO Smart hotel accommodations with Free internet & breakfast bar.
|