Back in 1693, 22-year old Elizabeth Johnson Jr. from Massachusetts was accused and convicted of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials, and was even sentenced to death for it.  329 years later and all thanks to an eighth-grade class from North Andover Middle School, Elizabeth has been exonerated.

 

Unlike the other accused Salem witches, Elizabeth didn’t have descendants to fight for her, until now that is.  The class decided to bring her case to lawmakers and according to Narcity, “They looked into it and finally pardoned her after legislation was introduced and approved for the case.  The Witches of Massachusetts Bay, an organization dedicated to the history of the famous witch trials, confirmed that Johnson is the last accused witch to have her name cleared of the crime.”

 


In a statement made by State Sen. Diana DiZoglio, she shares, “On 26 May 2022, the Massachusetts State Senate passed Amendment 842, making Elizabeth Johnson Jr. the last convicted witch to get her name cleared.  We will never be able to change what happened to victims like Elizabeth but at the very least can set the record straight.  Elizabeth’s story and struggle continue to greatly resonate today.  While we’ve come a long way since the horrors of the witch trials, women today still all too often find their rights challenged and concerns dismissed.”

 

Carrie LaPierre, the teacher of the eighth-grade class said, “Passing this legislation will be incredibly impactful on their understanding of how important it is to stand up for people who cannot advocate for themselves and how strong of a voice they actually have.”

 

Filed under: Salem Witch Trials