Vampires lurk throughout popular culture, appearing on television in “True Blood” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as well as Twilight books, and even the character “The Count” on Sesame Street.

But long before Buffy was protecting humankind, a public hysteria gripped several New England states in the late 19th century. Roughly two hundred years after the Salem witch trials, locals were on high alert as they believed vampires were in their midst.

In fact, roughly 80 of these disturbed vampire graves are documented, but it is believed there are hundreds more. What caused people to come to the conclusion that their dead relatives were returning to suck the life out of them? Let’s find out.

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