The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project is working to clear the names of all those accused, arrested or indicted for witchcraft in the state.

In 1648, Margaret Jones, a midwife, became the first person in Massachusetts — the second in New England — to be executed for witchcraft, decades before the infamous Salem witch trials.

Nearly four centuries later, the state and region are still working to come to grips with the scope of its witch trial legacy.

The latest effort comes from a group dedicated to clearing the names of all those accused, arrested or indicted for witchcraft in Massachusetts, whether or not the accusations ended in hanging.

The Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project, made up of history buffs and descendants, is hoping to persuade the state to take a fuller reckoning of its early history, according to Josh Hutchinson, the group’s leader.

Hundreds of individuals were accused of witchcraft in what would become the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between 1638 and 1693. Most escaped execution.

  • This came up in Connecticut maybe last year and of course there was a handful of absolute morons, Trump-loving Republicans who found every reason imaginable not to support this effort.

    They truly want a society based on mysticism.

      • Oh God this comment is blocked for me for some reason but is this one of these morons that think a legislative body, with dozens of committees, each with it’s own cadre of full-time professional legislative staff, can only do one thing at a time?

        True lizard brains with no idea how government works.

  • capital@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “It’s important that we correct the injustices of the past,” said Hutchinson, who noted he counts both accusers and victims among his ancestors. “We’d like an apology for all of the accused or indicted or arrested.”

    But why? What are you correcting? We all know it was bullshit.