Final answer:
The Great New England Vampire Panic refers to the belief in vampires and the rituals practiced to prevent the dead from rising and feeding on the living in New England during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Step-by-step explanation:
The “Great New England Vampire Panic” refers to a period of time in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when New Englanders believed in “vampires” and practiced rituals to prevent the dead from rising and feeding on the living. This belief in vampires was influenced by the ideas of Eastern European folklore and the fear of disease. During this panic, bodies of suspected vampires were exhumed and various methods were used to prevent them from coming back to life.