Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project

Sign the Petition Here

Nearly 200 people accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts have not been cleared or had their reputations restored. Between 1647 and 1693, at least 211 individuals were formally charged with witchcraft by Massachusetts courts. During this dark chapter in history, these individuals suffered imprisonment, interrogation, loss of reputation, loss of income, separation from their families, illness, and death. To date, only the 31 individuals convicted or pressed to death during the Salem Witchcraft Trials have been cleared by the General Court, leaving the other 180 accused uncleared, including 141 charged during the Salem Witchcraft Trials and 39 charged in other cases. Many of the Salem victims survived only because the governor instituted a new court with new rules after several months of executions had taken place. Before that, the court had a 100% conviction rate. Meanwhile, those accused in the years before Salem have been all but forgotten.

These innocent victims deserve better. They deserve to be remembered. They deserve to have their names cleared. The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project proposes that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts restore to good standing those convicted of witchcraft and issue an apology to all who were accused and suffered the consequences of accusation. This effort follows on the heels of the exoneration of Elizabeth Johnson Jr by Massachusetts in 2022 and the exoneration of 34 individuals by Connecticut in May 2023.

We support exoneration because correcting injustice is always the right thing to do. These women, men, and children were universally innocent of charges of witchcraft and covenanting with the devil. They and their families suffered, and their pain has been passed down through generational trauma. Confronting our past is an important step in moving forward. It is important that people learn from these events so we can stop making the same mistakes our ancestors did. Even today, witch-hunting claims many lives around the world. Each week, stories come in that echo those of the 17th-century witchcraft trial victims.

Please help us correct this injustice by signing and sharing this petition. Lend your voice to speak for people like Tituba and little Dorothy Good, the 4-year-old jailed during the Salem Witch-Hunt.

If you, your class, or your organization are interested in assisting, please visit https://Massachusettswitchtrials.org/volunteer join our Discord group at https://discord.gg/ykskdmasjH or make a tax-deductible donation at https://endwitchunts.org/donate