About

Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project

Seeking Acknowledgment for All Massachusetts Witch Trial Victims

We advocate for the recognition of all of Massachusetts’ witch trial victims–those prosecuted in Salem and those prosecuted elsewhere. According to the available research, the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colony* took action against at least 211 different individuals.

Past legislation has focused on those convicted during the Salem Witch-Hunt of 1692 and 1693 and has not included those convicted in Boston at other times. In addition, those arrested but not indicted have yet to be acknowledged, and no prior act or resolution has included an apology. Furthermore, the legislation passed in the 18th century claims that witchcraft was indeed being practiced and that the accusers were deluded by evil spirits.

A modern resolution must make it clear that human agency was to blame for the witch-hunts of the past, as witch-hunts continue to be a part of the modern landscape, claiming lives daily all around the world. Please visit the web page of our parent organization, End Witch Hunts, to learn more about this deadly crisis.

On January 15, 2025, Rep. Steven Owens (Cambridge and Watertown) proposed HD 3054, An Act Exonerating Certain Individuals Accused of Witchcraft in Colonial Massachusetts. This legislation now titled Bill H. 1927 will clear the names of 8 individuals convicted of witchcraft in Boston and all others accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts.

*Includes actions taken by the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the Dominion of New England, and the Plymouth Colony, within the present state bounds of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.