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   We respectfully request a full pardon for Mary Dyer’s conviction for peaceful civil disobedience while advocating for liberties of religion, conscience, and speech, which unjustly resulted in her execution on June 1, 1660, in Boston. Recognition of her unusual and heroic sacrifices to improve the common good educates people to the many undervalued contributions of women to the ideals and values that strengthen our nation and inspires all of our essential responsibilities to protect Constitutional rights of its citizens.

 

    Mary Dyer’s sentence was cruel and unusual, as The Massachusetts Bay Puritans were relatively lenient toward ordinary lawbreakers, imposing fines or limited imprisonment.  However, by combining the charges against peaceful civil disobedience and church theological charges of heresy, Puritans passed unique laws against Quakers’ mere presence within the colony, escalating to capital punishment.  The injustice is clear, in that her persecutors were also her judges, and her during her second trial she was given no opportunity to present a defense.

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   The theology of the Quakers is reflected clearly in our First Amendment, believing that certain rights are given to humans by divine providence. Individuals, therefore, have the right to establish personal and independent faith free from government interference or hindrance.  These rights were subsequently recognized by the Royal Mandate of 1661 and the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution.  Additional support for the injustice of Mistress Mary Dyer’s execution abides within the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.  A similar pardon was given to Anne Hutchinson, a close friend and mentor of Mary Dyer in 1987 by Governor Dukakis for her conviction and banishment in 1657 for similar religious transgressions.  

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    Mary Dyer’s leadership and sacrifice procured the 1661 Royal Mandate, saving the lives of countless Quakers and religious people in jail or threatened with the same charges. Her beliefs also reflect the values the Colony of Massachusetts embraced in 1780, evidence that her beliefs and actions had influenced revolutionary ideals.  Yet, in Boston in 2026, she is remembered more for her conviction by the Puritans than how her convictions of religious liberty changed the course of history. Your pardon will elevate the public ‘s appreciation of the extraordinary inspiration and leadership Mary Dyer and other women’s contributions to our nation and provide new references for her by replacing “rebel, heretic, banished” with “visionary, hero, and pardoned.  Start by adding your name to the petition to be presented to Governor M. Healey.

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