Though Massachusetts pardoned most accused witches in 1957 and 2001, Elizabeth Johnson Jr.’s name was left off the list.
Wikimedia CommonsA portrayal of a young fair sex guess to have “ witch ’s marks . ”
In 1693 , 22 - year - former Elizabeth Johnson Jr. of Andover , Massachusetts , was accused of being a witch . For hundred , that accusation stood . Now , a group of 13- and 14 - year - olds want to make certain Johnson finally find justice .
“ To right a wrongfulness , it ’s worth doing,”said Carrie LaPierre , who infix Johnson ’s narration to her eighth - grade civics form at North Andover Middle School .
Wikimedia CommonsA depiction of a young woman thought to have “witch’s marks.”
After researching Johnson ’s case , LaPierre ’s students began pushing for a pardon . The state of Massachusetts had offered amnesty to charge witches before , in 1957 and 2001 , but Johnson ’s name was entrust off the leaning . The student want to change that .
They enlisted the assistant of State Department senator Diana DiZoglio to assist them in their efforts . DiZoglio , impressed and root on by the students , introduced legislation to clear Johnson ’s name . Her lawmaking would repair the 1957 law to include Johnson .
“ Why Elizabeth was not exonerated is unclear but no activity was ever taken on her behalf by the General Assembly or the courts,”DiZoglio explained .
Wikimedia CommonsA depiction of the Salem witch trials.
“ Possibly because she was neither a married woman nor a mother , she was not considered worthy of having her name cleared . And because she never had shaver , there is no group of descendent act on her behalf . ”
Wikimedia CommonsA delineation of the Salem witch trial .
Over 300 years ago , Johnson was swept up in the hysteria of theSalem witch run . Between 1692 and 1693 , people hold up in and near Salem accused each otherof practice the “ Devil ’s magic . ”
TwitterA memorial in Salem for those who died after being accused of witchcraft.
Many of them were subjugate to insufferable - to - pass “ hag tests . ” These let in swimming tests ( if the accused blow she was guilty ; if she drowned she was innocent , though dead ) and force class period of prayer .
But in the goal , Johnson amaze lucky . Although she confessed to being a witch and was sentenced to hang , Massachusetts governor William Phips threw out her conviction as the delirium surrounding potential witches died down .
By the time the junk clear , authorities had hanged 19 people for witchcraft and executed one manby smash him with Stone .
TwitterA memorial in Salem for those who died after being accused of witchery .
However , although authorities after admitted their wrong and pardoned the impeach witch , Johnson ’s name has been stained by “ witchcraft ” for 328 yr .
“ It show how superstitious the great unwashed still were after the enchantress trials , ” explained Artem Likhanov , a 14 - year - onetime involved in the push button to pardon Salem ’s last enchantress .
“ It ’s not like after it end people did n’t think in witch anymore . They still think she was a crone and they would n’t exonerate her . ”
But , hopefully , the 8th - graders will change that . Though some were initially unenthusiastic about the project — with COVID-19 rile and the pandemonium surrounding the 2020 election they mat it miss relevance . However , they soon became give the sack up in seeking Justice Department for Johnson .
“ They came around to the idea that it ’s important that in some small room we could do this one thing , ” LaPierre explained .
DiZoglio agree . Though the pardon would be for the most part symbolic — Johnson is , after all , long dead — it would right a wrong , and bring justice to someone wrongly accused .
“ It is important that we work to correct chronicle , ” DiZoglio noted .
“ We will never be able to change what happen to these victims , but at the very least , we can set the record heterosexual person . ”
After reading about Salem ’s last witch and the push button to pardon her , dive into the fascinatinghistory of enchantress . Or , scan about theBasque Country witch trials , which were much worse than Salem ’s .
