Speaker Eleanor Strang will share the story of Samuel Sewall, which is a story of redemption, and 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 colony of Massachusetts Bay. He is best known for his voluminous diary and for being one of the judges in the infamous Salem witch trials. Alone among all the judges, he later publicly apologized for his role in that tragedy. This apology unleashed a torrent of creativity, and he published the first anti-slavery tract in the English colonies. He was a complex man, ahead of his time and yet comfortable in it. He is worthy of being remembered for much more than his role in the Salem tragedy.

There will be a short annual business meeting after the program is concluded.