# Death of an Empire: The Rise and Murderous Fall of Salem, America's Richest City - Hardcover

by **Robert Booth** (Author)

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.

_Death of an Empire_ is a finely-written 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.

### Author Biography

ROBERT BOOTH's guidebook _Boston's Freedom Trail_ has been in print for twenty-five years and he has contributed to the anthology _Salem: Place, Myth & Memory._ He is curator emeritus of the Pickering House in Salem and serves on the boards of several history organizations. He lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

**Number of Pages:** 352

**Dimensions:** 1.1 x 9.3 x 6.3 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** August 16, 2011

## Details

- **Price:** 39.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 39.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Death of an Empire: The Rise and Murderous Fall of Salem, America's Richest City - Hardcover

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