Judgment Days: Famous Trials and Social Conflict in American History

Americans have long viewed major trials as public dramas that reveal enduring social tensions. Historian Michael Ross argues that the most memorable cases matter because the conflicts they expose never fully fade. His series revisits four landmark trials—involving witchcraft in New England, an accused Gilded Age double murderess, the evolution debate, and the controversial Chicago Seven—showing how each became a flashpoint for its era and why their echoes still shape American society.