Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project

Massachusetts State House

Connecticut Knows Witch Hunt Justice Is Possible: Help Massachusetts Finish the Job

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by

Joshua Hutchinson
in ,

We did it. Now Massachusetts needs our support.

In 2023, Connecticut made history. House Joint Resolution 34, “Resolution Concerning Certain Witchcraft Convictions in Colonial Connecticut” was adopted by the House of Representatives by a vote of 121 to 30 and was then adopted by the Senate by a margin of 33 to 1. After nearly 400 years, Connecticut officially absolved the innocent victims of our witch trials and apologized to their descendants.

Eleven people were hanged for witchcraft in Connecticut during the 1600s, and a total of 34 victims were indicted on witchcraft charges. Alice Young, Lydia Gilbert, Mary Sanford, Goody Bassett, John and Joan Carrington, Rebecca and Nathaniel Greensmith, Mary Barnes, Goody Ayres, and Katherine Harrison all suffered. Thanks to the tireless work of descendants, advocates, historians, and legislators from all political parties, their names have been cleared.

But the work of justice isn’t finished. Just across our border, five women hanged for witchcraft in Boston still await exoneration.

Massachusetts Needs Our Help

Between 1647 and 1688, five women were executed for alleged witchcraft in Boston, Massachusetts: Margaret Jones, Elizabeth Kendall, Alice Lake, Ann Hibbins, and Goody Glover. These women endured the same false accusations, the same torturous examinations, and the same unjust executions as Connecticut’s victims. Yet their names remain tainted by unjust convictions.

Massachusetts has exonerated all those convicted during the Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693, but left these five women behind. They remain the only people executed for witchcraft in New England who have never been cleared. It’s time to finish the job.

Now, Bill H.1927, proposed by Rep. Steven Owens of Cambridge and Watertown, seeks to clear the names of 8 individuals convicted of witchcraft in Boston and recognize all others who suffered witchcraft accusations in Massachusetts. This legislation mirrors what we accomplished in Connecticut, and they need our voices of experience and solidarity.

Why These Five Women Matter

Margaret Jones (executed 1648) was a woman whose medicines were deemed too effective, her skill too powerful. When neighbors’ misfortunes occurred, she became the scapegoat. She maintained her innocence to the very end.

Elizabeth Kendall (executed between 1647 and 1651) was falsely accused by a nurse who blamed her for a child’s death, a child who had actually died from the nurse’s own negligence. Even after the nurse’s fraudulent testimony was revealed, Elizabeth was never exonerated.

Alice Lake (executed c. 1650) was a mother of four who had been judged harshly for choices she made as a young woman. That judgment haunted her and was weaponized against her when witchcraft accusations arose.

Ann Hibbins (executed 1656) was called “quarrelsome” for speaking her mind and refusing to accept unfair treatment. Her husband had been an Assistant in the Massachusetts General Court, but even her connections couldn’t save her from being targeted as a widow with property.

Goody Glover (executed 1688) was an Irish Catholic widow whose first language was Gaelic. An outsider within her community, she became an easy target when children exhibited strange behaviors.

These women were not witches. Like Connecticut’s victims, they were healers, mothers, widows, and immigrants who became victims of community fear, misogyny, and injustice.

The Power of Collaboration: Lessons from Connecticut’s Success

The Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project knows firsthand what it takes to pass exoneration legislation. Our journey from May 26, 2022, when we formally organized, to May 25, 2023, when HJ 34 passed, taught us invaluable lessons:

Bipartisan support is essential. Representative Jane Garibay and Senator Saud Anwar championed our cause, building consensus across party lines. Justice transcends politics.

Descendant voices matter. When we testified before the Judiciary Committee on March 1, 2023, legislators heard directly from those whose families were impacted. Personal stories create understanding.

Persistence pays off. Efforts to officially exonerate Connecticut residents convicted of witchcraft date back to at least 2008, laying important groundwork. When descendants and advocates came together with a unified strategy in 2022, we were able to build on that foundation and achieve success.

Public education is crucial. Through social media, presentations, articles, and petition drives, we helped Connecticut understand why this mattered, not just for history, but for justice today.

Now Massachusetts advocates are following a similar path, and we can support them with the wisdom we’ve gained.

The Massachusetts Hearing: November 25, 2025

The Joint Committee on the Judiciary will hold a hearing on Bill H.1927 on November 25, 2025. This is a critical opportunity for citizens to voice their support for exoneration and justice.

Connecticut residents and advocates can participate by submitting written testimony. This allows us to:

  • Share Connecticut’s successful exoneration experience
  • Explain why regional justice matters
  • Connect our shared history of witch trials
  • Stand in solidarity with Massachusetts advocates

How Connecticut Can Support Massachusetts

1. Sign the Massachusetts Petition

Visit change.org/witchtrials and add your voice to those calling for justice in Massachusetts. Connecticut’s support demonstrates that this matters beyond state borders.

2. Submit Written Testimony

Even as Connecticut residents, we can write to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary expressing support for H.1927. Share how Connecticut’s HJ 34 brought healing and justice to descendants and our entire state.

3. Contact Massachusetts Legislators

Tell them about Connecticut’s experience and why exoneration matters regionally. Explain how our bipartisan resolution passed with overwhelming support because justice transcends politics.

4. Spread the Word

Share information about H.1927 on social media. Use hashtags like #H1927, #WitchTrialJustice, and #NewEnglandHistory. Connecticut’s voice amplifies Massachusetts advocates.

5. Learn More and Connect

Why This Matters Today

The patterns that led to the witch trials (scapegoating outsiders, punishing women who challenged social norms, using fear to justify injustice) are still happening in the same form today.

Around the world, people are still being accused of witchcraft. They still face violence, imprisonment, and death because of these accusations. Witch hunts never stopped. They continue in parts of Africa, Asia, and beyond, with devastating consequences for victims and their families.

At End Witch Hunts nonprofit, we know that witch hunting didn’t evolve into something else. It’s still witch hunting. People are still being beaten, burned, and killed because neighbors, family members, or community leaders accuse them of using harmful magic or witchcraft.

When Connecticut passed HJ 34, we acknowledged this ongoing reality. The resolution’s preamble recognizes that witch hunts continue today. By supporting Massachusetts in exonerating their victims, we strengthen the message that justice for witch trial victims, past and present, matters across New England and around the world.

When we advocate for Margaret Jones, Elizabeth Kendall, Alice Lake, Ann Hibbins, and Goody Glover, we also stand with every person around the world who is being accused of witchcraft right now. Their stories are separated by centuries but united by the same persecution, the same violence, the same injustice.

The Time to Act is Now

Legislative windows can close quickly. The Massachusetts legislature needs to hear from citizens who care about justice, not just historical justice, but justice for all victims of witch hunting, past and present.

Connecticut showed that justice is possible. Now Massachusetts needs to finish the job.

Five women hanged for witchcraft have waited nearly four centuries for their names to be cleared. Connecticut cleared our victims’ names in 2023. Will you help Massachusetts do the same in 2025?

Connecticut Witch Trial Exoneration Project A project of End Witch Hunts

Supporting the Massachusetts Witch-Hunt Justice Project

For more information about Connecticut’s work, visit connecticutwitchtrials.org

To support Massachusetts, visit https://massachusettswitchtrials.org

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