Epilogue: Pardoned!

The last accused “witch” of the Salem Witchcraft Trials has just been pardoned, 329 years after she was convicted.

Elizabeth Johnson, 22, had languished in prison for six months when she was brought to trial. She was one of the last to be convicted and, with seven other women, was sentenced to hang. Her grave was dug on the last day of January. The next day, just before she would have been executed, Elizabeth and the other condemned prisoners were reprieved. Now, centuries later, after all the others had been exonerated, Elizabeth’s name has finally been cleared.

What took so long?

In the immediate aftermath and in the centuries that followed, dozens of other suspects were cleared (including Elizabeth’s own mother) when their descendants advocated for them. But Elizabeth never married or had children, and therefore had no descendants. She may also have been weak-minded or ill-liked. Her grandfather described her as “simplish at best,” and a contemporary writer called her “senseless and ignorant.”

Nineteen years after her release, Elizabeth petitioned the court to clear her name. But nothing came of it. And because she had no descendants to champion her cause (and perhaps was incapable of advocating strongly for herself), her conviction stood.

Enter the 8th-graders of North Andover Middle School. They researched the witchcraft trials, read the testimony in Elizabeth’s case, and researched the legislative steps it would take to exonerate her. Then they sent their research to a state senator, who steered the legislation to approval.

The students’ teacher, Carrie LaPierre, 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.”