Massachusetts is working to fully atone for its witch trial legacy nearly 400 years after the first person was executed there for witchcraft. The latest push comes from a group dedicated to clearing the names of all those accused, arrested or indicted for witchcraft in the state. This is whether or not the accusations ended in death. Hundreds of individuals were accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts, home of the infamous Salem witch trials, between 1638 and 1693. Most escaped execution but have yet to have their names formally cleared by lawmakers.

Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America. They even get more credence than hell. More than astrology, reincarnation and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies. In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The widespread acceptance of angels made sense to one angel expert because they are malleable to an array of worldviews. Angels mean different things to different people. For example, the idea of loved ones becoming heavenly angels after death is neither an unusual belief nor a universally held one.