- Overview
- Injustice
- Contemporary Witchcraft Accusations
- Misogyny
- Honor the Dead
- Educate
- Witch Trial Victim Descendants Want Exoneration
- Massachusetts has Exonerated Other Witch Trial Victims
- Other Jurisdictions have Exonerated Witch Trial Victims
- To Support Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law
- To Stand up for Human Rights
- Existing Exoneration Resolutions
- Proposed Resolution
- What the Amended 1957 Resolve will Look Like
Overview
By clearing the names of the past victims, we honor the dead, educate ourselves, reduce the potential for future witch-hunts of all kinds, and send a message that we stand opposed to violence against persons accused of witchcraft. Exoneration is a way to show our respect to generations gone before us and provide comfort to the victims’ descendants. This is also an opportunity to learn many lessons applicable today. Through sharing the history of past witch-hunts, we learn how to identify and stop similarly persecutions in the present.
We think of violent witch-hunting as a thing of the past, but it is an everyday occurrence all around the globe. It is crucially important that we stand against witch-hunting, as parts of Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific are engulfed in a crisis of harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft against people of all ages and genders, but especially children and women. Much like the techniques used to enforce colonial witchcraft acts, these modern practices involve psychological and physical harm to innocent persons. Today’s witch-hunts result in banishment, stigmatization, threats of violence, torturous violence, and murder. Families are torn apart, and survivors have great difficulty recovering. By standing up for the Massachusetts victims, we send a signal that the Commonwealth and the United States do not tolerate accusations of witchcraft and associated harmful practices.
This resolution will be an example to others working to recognize and address the wrongs of the past. By exonerating all those accused of witchcraft, Massachusetts is taking a stand against injustice, human rights violations, misogyny, and witch-hunting, which will resonate in parts of the world where witchcraft accusations continue to lead to violence today. By acknowledging the mistakes of the past, we educate the public that similar actions are not acceptable today.
Injustice
The witch trials in Massachusetts were a miscarriage of justice. The individuals accused were universally innocent of the charges of covenanting with Satan and using supernatural forces to harm others. We know this, because it is impossible to prove in a court of law today that someone has entered into a covenant with the Devil or has manipulated diabolical forces to harm others. Therefore, the victims deserve justice–justice for their suffering, justice for their shame, justice for violations of their human rights. Passing an exoneration resolution sends a clear message that Massachusetts stands in support of all innocent persons.
“Acknowledging injustice, no matter how historic, is important.”
Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland
Contemporary Witchcraft Accusations
As cited in UN Human Rights Council Resolution 47/8, Harmful Practices Related to Witchcraft Accusations and Ritual Attacks are a significant source of violence in many nations around the world. These attacks claim lives almost daily in dozens of countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal, India, Papua New Guinea, and even the United States. By enacting a witchcraft trial exoneration resolution, Massachusetts sends a clear message that the state does not tolerate witch-hunting.
Misogyny
Seven of the eight people convicted of witchcraft in Boston were women. All five who were executed for witchcraft in Boston were women. Of 216 known people formally accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts, 78% were women. Excluding Salem, this number rockets to 87% (52 of 60). During Salem, 25% of the accused (39 of 156) were men or boys. However, half of them were married to or closely related to women who were accused first.
As the numbers indicate, it is clear that women were the primary victims of the witch-hunts in Massachusetts. False beliefs about women being weaker and more vulnerable to temptation drove the hunts. In passing an exoneration resolution, the Massachusetts makes it clear that it does not tolerate this errant view of women and stands against the mistreatment of women.
Honor the Dead
By exonerating the innocent, we honor those who have gone before us, paying them the respect we hope we are afforded when we pass. These individuals were not buried in public cemeteries. For some, family legend points to family members rescuing the bodies of their loved ones and burying them on private land, but for most, we do not know where their remains are, if they were ever properly interred at all. The process of exoneration and memorialization is, therefore, meaningful as a way of eulogizing the dead.
Educate
This is an opportunity for people to learn what lessons there are to glean from the witch trials of our past and to become aware of the witch hunts, both literal and metaphorical, happening all around us right now. We must learn how not to panic when faced with widespread fear, how to hold true to our laws and values when confronted by fright, how to respect the lives and dignity of all our fellow humans.
Passing the exoneration resolution will encourage support for human rights and opposition to scapegoating and witch-hunting in all forms. By addressing the wrongs of the past, we enable ourselves to move forward to a future free of these terrible mistakes.
Witch Trial Victim Descendants Want Exoneration
Descendants of Massachusetts’ witch trial victims want to see their ancestors’ names cleared for all time. By passing an exoneration resolution, the Massachusetts General Court voices its support for these descendants and others calling for a wrong to be righted.
Massachusetts has Exonerated Other Witch Trial Victims
Massachusetts has previously exonerated those convicted during the Salem Witch Trials, as well as Giles Cory, who was pressed to death in Salem without being tried. The same exoneration granted those convicted in Salem should apply to all others accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts.
Other Jurisdictions have Exonerated Witch Trial Victims
On May 25, 2023, Connecticut, HJ 34 exonerated by name 33 individuals accused of witchcraft.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued a formal apology on International Women’s Day in 2022. Sturgeon said, “it was injustice on a colossal scale, driven at least in part, by misogyny in its most literal sense – hatred of women.”
The Scottish Kirk apologized in May 2022.
In Maryland, HJ 2 has been proposed to clear the names of all accused of witchcraft there.
To Support Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law
By addressing injustice, we strengthen justice. As stated by Professor Margaret Malloch, “restitution for historical injustice is essential for an effective justice system.” And former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said, “reckoning with historic injustice is a vital part of building a better country.” If we can recognize injustice in the past, we can prevent it in the present.
To Stand up for Human Rights
Massachusetts and the United States stand against human rights violations. As a signer of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the United States is a supporter of the “inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.” By passing a resolution to exonerate, the Massachusetts General Court shows its support of fundamental human rights.
Existing Exoneration Resolutions
In 1703, the General Court of Massachusetts passed An Act for Reversing the Attainder of Abigail Faulkner, Sarah Wardel, Elizabeth Proctor. This act made it such “that the said Several convictions, Judgements and Attainders of the said Abigail Faulkner, Sarah Wardel, Elizabeth Proctor and every of them be, and are repealed, reversed, made and declared null and void to all intents, constructions and purposes whatsoever; as if no such convictions, Judgements or Attainders had ever been had or given. And that no corruption of blood, pains penalties or Forfeitures of Goods or Chattels be by the said convictions and Attainders or any of them incurred, But that the said persons and every of them be and hereby are reinstated in their just Credit and reputation”
In 1711, Act to Reverse the Attainders of George Burroughs and Others for Witchcraft. The Others included John Procter, George Jacobs Sr., John Willard, Giles Cory, Martha Cory (though not by name), Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Elizabeth How, Mary Esty, Sarah Wilds, Abigail Hobbs, Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Faulkner, Ann Foster, Rebecca Eames, Mary Post, Mary Lacey, Mary Bradbury, and Dorcas Hoar. This act featured similar language to the 1703 act. Abigail Faulkner was, therefore, exonerated twice, in 1703 and again in 1711. Meanwhile, several victims were left out of the 18th century exonerations.
In 2022, a budget amendment was introduced and adopted, adding Elizabeth Johnson, Jr. to the list of those exonerated. She was the last of Salem’s 30 convicts to have her name formally cleared by legislation.
The following files show the original 1957 Resolve, the 2001 amendment, and the 2022 amendment.
Proposed Resolution
This file is the proposed HD 3054, which will exonerate Margaret Jones, Alice Lake, Elizabeth Kendall, Anne Hibbens, Goody Glover, Hugh Parsons, Eunice Cole, and Elizabeth Morse.
What the Amended 1957 Resolve will Look Like
This file shows what the 1957 Resolve looks like after applying HD 3054.