History
Salem derives its name from a short form of "Jerusalem", mentioned in Genesis. The name is related to "shalom" (Hebrew:peace) . The town was settled in 1626 as Naumkeag, renamed to Salem in 1629. It was incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629. While popularly associated with the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, this is only partially correct. Many of the people involved lived in the nearby Salem Village, currently known as Danvers.
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