OLLI-HIST-2256 - Samuel Sewall: From Salem Witch Trial Judge to Anti-Slavery Advocate 

Course Description

The story of Samuel Sewall is one of redemption and offers a fascinating look into the mind of a New England Puritan. Born in 1652, he spent most of his life as a prominent citizen of the Puritan Massachusetts Bay colony. He is best known for extensive diary and for serving as one of the judges in the infamous Salem witch trials. Uniquely among the judges, he later publicly apologized for his role in that tragedy. This apology sparked a wave of creativity, leading him to publish the first anti-slavery tract in the English colonies, as well as essays on the importance of the indigenous people and women’s rights. Sewall was a complex man, ahead of his time in many ways but also deeply rooted in it. He is worthy of being remembered for much more than his involvement in the Salem witch trials.