Freethinkers such as Voltaire in France and John Locke in England pushed back the night of superstition with the light of reason.

This is more than just a calendar of events or mini-biographies – it’s a roll-call look into our Freethought history that shows not just who came before us, but that we as freethinkers are not alone in the world, no matter how isolated and alone we may feel at times.

Judge (Rev.) Samuel Sewall, who had presided at many trials in Salem, expressed a real fear of divine retribution, but the victims of the Salem Witch Trials would have been better off with less Jesus and more justice.