The exoneration over the years of the 1692 Salem Witchcraft trials victims

The 1692 Salem Witch Trials were a dark period in our colonial history. Over 200 people were

accused of witchcraft, resulting in the executions of 20 people. Five more died while in jail. A

few more died after escaping jail or at after they returned home from jail.

While many people were opposed to the witch hunt, it took several years for the community to recognize its mistakes. In January of 1697, the jury of the court of Oyer and Terminer (the

witchcraft court) wrote a letter of apology for their role during the hysteria.

The Massachusetts General Court ordered a day of public fasting and prayer for January 15,

1697. It was a day for public repentance, during which many involved expressed remorse,

including Judge Samuel Sewall, who was the youngest judge during the trials. As his penance, Sewell wore a shirt made out of hair under his clothes.

In 1711, the Massachusetts General Court granted a reversal of attainder to several victims of

the witchcraft trials, restoring their good names. Several more victims were cleared over the

years as families brought civil suits.

In 2001, Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift signed a bill that officially exonerated the last five people to be convicted of witchcraft. The bill was signed on Halloween as a fitting time to address this dark chapter in the state’s history, providing legal and official closure for the

victims and their families by formally acknowledging the injustice of the trials.

And it was considered over. Everyone who had been executed had been exonerated.

But about 20 years later, a civics class teacher learned that there was one more person from

the 1692 Salem Witchcraft trials that was convicted and never exonerated. The teacher, her

students and a state senator worked to clear the name of Elizabeth Johnson Jr. of North

Andover.

Johnson, Jr. was a 22-year-old woman who was deemed “simplish,” accused, arrested, bullied and convicted. While she was not executed, her sentence as a “detestable witch” continued to subject her to ongoing injustices after the trials and remained beyond her lifetime until present day.

Thanks to the endeavors by the teacher, her civics class and their state senator, Massachusetts cleared Johnson Jr in 2022 after 330 years, proving that it is never too late for justice. What began as a unique school project quickly became an emotional journey into historical wounds left unattended—and the contemporary implications of those wounds.

Now their story is being documented in The Last Witch, a film that is 330 years in the making. The documentary shows how a schoolteacher, her students, and their allies not only set Elizabeth’s wrongful conviction right, but that by making amends with the past, they provided everyone with inspiration to create a better future.

The Last Witch documentary spotlights the impact one person can have to change history. The film draws attention to our own responsibility to advocate for justice, and the importance of civic education in protecting democracy.

The documentary is shooting its final scenes in December 2025 and then will go into post

production in 2026. The goal is for it to be screened in Massachusetts, entered into film

festivals across the nation and eventual distribution.

Funding is needed to finish the last steps of this important project. It is a story that needs to be told again and again as an example of the positive impact people can have when working

toward justice. You can be part of this amazing project by contributing what you can to help share this story and be part of its success.

Purchase a mug or tote bag from The Last Witch as a gift to a loved one or treat yourself to a

one of these gifts. The proceeds go to fund the project.

If you just want to donate to the project, you can do that here:

https://www.thelastwitchfilm.com/support-contact