Death of an empire : the rise and murderous fall of Salem, America's richest city / Robert Booth.

1st ed.

New York : Thomas Dunne Books, 2011.

xvi, 330 p. : ill., maps ; 25 cm.

Most readers know Salem only for the city's notorious witch trials. But years later it became a very different city, one that produced America's first millionaire (still one of history's 75 wealthiest men) and boasted a maritime trade that made it the country's richest city. Westward expansion and the industrial revolution would eventually erode Salem's political importance, but it was a shocking murder and the scandal that followed which led at last to its fall from national prominence. This book is the tale of a little-known but remarkably rich era of American history, drawing in characters such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Quincy Adams, and Daniel Webster.

English

September 29, 2011

Includes bibliographical references and index.