J.K. Rowling sets up 'Fantastic Beasts' with magical history about the roaring '20s

The final installment of J.K. Rowling's history of magic in North America primes fans perfectly for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film and Rowling's latest new writing both focus on American wizards during the 1920s. 

In piece three, Rowling explained that due to a serious breach of magical secrecy in the 17th century, American wizards live far more separately from non-magical peoples than European wizards do.

Piece four, meanwhile, reveals that the American magical Congress was also "more intolerant of such magical phenomena as ghosts, poltergeists and fantastic creatures than its European equivalents, because of the risk such beasts and spirits posed of alerting No-Majs to the existence of magic."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

At the time when Fantastic Beasts takes place, the President of MACUSA is Madam Seraphina Picquery -- to be played by Carmen Ejego in Warner Bros. upcoming film.

Rowling's latest also digs into the various wandmakers who serve American wizards:

• Shikoba Wolfe, whose wands contain thunderbird feathers
  

• Johannes Jonker, whose wands were inlaid with mother-of-pearl and often contain the core of the Wampus cat (more on this later, please, Jo)
  

• Thiago Quintina, who made wand cores from the spines of White River Monsters of Arkansas
  

• Violetta Beauvais, whose swamp mayhew wands contained a core of rougarou, "the dangerous dog-headed monster that prowled Louisiana swamps"
  

These wandmakers and the creatures that assist them could play a significant role in Fantastic Beasts as Newt Scamander travels the United States in search of exciting magical creatures.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.