Marylanders accused of witchcraft could be exonerated under proposed bill

A bill introduced in the state House by Maryland lawmakers could exonerate individuals accused or convicted of witchcraft before the American Revolution. 

According to the proposed bill, at least seven people were accused or indicted of practicing witchcraft in Maryland. At least two people were convicted and one person was executed for the crime. 

The bill acknowledges that more than 300 years after the witch trials in the U.S., historians, and society agree the accused and convicted individuals were innocent. Community panic, overwhelming fear, and superstitions drove the accusations. 

The bill further attributes the rise in witch trials to misogyny as the historical status of women was much different. 

According to the bill, the courts' historical practices would not meet modern standards of due process and proof, making the prosecutions considered miscarriages of justice. 

"Maryland would be following in the footsteps of our New England states where some of the most infamous witch trials occurred," said Maryland Delegate Heather Bagnell, from Anne Arundel County. "The Witchcraft Exoneration Movement is not only a national, but an international, effort."

Witchcraft in Maryland 

According to the Maryland Center for History and Culture, Maryland's first witch was a woman named Mary Lee, who was a passenger on the Charity of London, a ship that set sail from England in 1654. 

Mary Lee was executed on board the ship after rumors spread that she created the storms that caused challenges during the journey. Two sailors first asked the captain to put Lee on trial, but when the trial was delayed, they searched Lee and found a "devil's marking." 

Lee was hanged, and her body was later dumped overboard before the ship landed in St. Mary's City, Maryland. 

What would Maryland's proposed bill do? 

The proposed bill would exonerate those accused or convicted of practicing witchcraft and would serve as an apology. 

Under the bill, those who were indicted or banished will have their family's reputation restored and will no longer have disgrace attached to their name. They would be "in good standing in Maryland," the bill reads. 

The proposed bill also includes an apology from the state of Maryland to the descendants of those who were targeted with witchcraft accusations. It goes on to acknowledge the trauma and shame families of those accused may face. 

The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the House on Monday, March 10.