Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 42 OCTOBER 2022 L I V E + P L AY NORTHSHOREMAG.COM trials' key players, designed for descendants to learn more about their ancestors. From the lobby, visitors enter a dark, theatrical room for the first half of their museum tour—an immersive production featuring life-sized sets, lighting, and narration, transporting visitors back to the 1690s for 20 minutes. Note that this part of the storytelling is spooky, beginning with a vignette of the devil, and may not be suitable for all audiences. Afterward, visitors head to the "Witches: Evolving Perceptions" exhibit, which explores the evolution of witch imagery over time, from the early European witch hysteria in the 1300s to current Pagan practitioners to more modern-day examples of "witch hunting" like the McCarthyism of the 1950s. The end of the exhibit presents a formula that explains witch hunt–like behavior : "fear + trigger = scapegoat." In 1692, that formula played out as a fear of the devil in Salem's Puritan culture, plus Dr. Griggs's diagnosing two young girls as possessed, equaling the scapegoating of dozens of townspeople. The museum shop sells a range of books on Salem's history, along with mainstay witchcraft books like Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham, paying homage to Salem's strong presence of Pagan and Wiccan religions today. In 2017, Vox published an article called "There weren't any witches in Salem in 1693. But there sure are now." Movie posters for flicks like Practical Magic and The Witches of Eastwick line the walls leading to the bathrooms, and the shop has all the kitschy witch paraphernalia a tourist could dream of, from Hocus Pocus t-shirts to Harry Potter gear to magnets, mugs, and keychains. The appearance of the gift shop items just after the stories of gruesome hangings is jarring—but says almost more than a museum exhibit could about the shift in pop culture's perception of witches and witchcraft. Tickets to the museum are available day-of and online only, with timed entries every half-hour. Though the museum is open year-round, its typical 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. hours are extended in October—but if you're a local, we recommend visiting during any other month. It'll still be just as spooky. Witches Evolving perceptions exhibit explores the evolution of witch imagery over time. IN THE KNOW In 1692, 22-year-old Elizabeth Johnson of Andover confessed to witchcraft. Arrested as part of the witch hysteria that swept the region that year, Johnson admitted she had consorted with the devil and afflicted her neighbors. She was convicted in 1693. Now, thanks to the efforts of a group of middle school students from North Andover and their teacher, Johnson has finally been exonerated. A provision in the budget package signed by Governor Charlie Baker in late July legally recognizes Johnson was the victim of popular hysteria and unjust proceedings. The effort to exonerate Johnson began when Carrie LaPierre, a teacher at North Andover Middle School, first learned about Johnson's case and saw an opportunity to teach her students a valuable civics lesson. Over the years, starting in the 1700s, other legal efforts have cleared every other person convicted of witchcraft in the so-called Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and 1693. Twenty people were executed during the hysteria. Though the trials are generally associated with the city of Salem, many of the accusers and accused came from all around the region, including Ipswich, Gloucester, Andover, and Methuen. Following lobbying by the descendants of some convicted of witchcraft, the state in 1957 issued a resolution declaring that the trials of Ann Pudeator and others "were and are shocking, and the result of a wave of popular hysterical fear of the Devil in the community," and that "no disgrace or cause for distress attaches to the said descendants or any of them by reason of said proceedings." In 2001, an amendment to the resolution added more names to the list. For unknown reasons, Johnson was not included in this update, however. So LaPierre's class researched primary documents, learned about Johnson and the accusations against her, and drafted a bill to acknowledge that her conviction was unjust. The students worked with state Senator Diana DiZoglio of Methuen to introduce the proposal in the legislature in early 2021. It took another year and a half, but a provision adding Johnson's name to the list of those exonerated was finally packaged into a budget bill and signed into law. FALSELY ACCUSED Last woman executed for witchcraft is exonerated with help of schoolchildren.