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The Persecution of Witches - Coggle Diagram
The Persecution of Witches
Why did people believe in witchcraft
Supernatural beliefs helped people to cope with the hardships and challenges of daily life
People might use magic to try to find out the sex of an unborn child, cure an illness or recover stolen goods
People known as 'cunning folk' or 'wise women' were thought to have magical powers they had inherited
People often relied on specialist knowledge of herbs and spells to cure illnesses
Why Did Fear of Witchcraft Increase in Elizabethan Times
Elizabethans believed supernatural powers could be dangerous - a witch's curse could make someone ill or ruin their crops/property
The Elizabethans passed a law in 1563 making witchcraft a criminal offence
An accused person could be brought to court and if found guilty of using witchcraft to kill someone could be hanged
Witches who harmed people or damaged property could be imprisoned
Anyone could accuse another of 'bewitching' them - anything that went wrong could be blamed on a witch
Witches used small animals called 'familiars' to commit evil
Witchcraft trials peaked in the 1580s
A witch-hunt was sweeping Europe - the English witch craze wasn't as extreme
How Have Historians Interpreted the Increase in Witchcraft Trials
Witchcraft Law (1563)
A law was passed in 1563 which introduced death by hanging if someone was found guilty of using witchcraft to kill someone. Witches who harmed people or property were imprisoned. There were not many prosecutions in the years before 1563.
Who led the witch-hunts
In England there were few witch-hunts led by the Government or by the Church. Instead, prosecutions for witchcraft often started with complaints from neighbours. In a typical case a quarrel would occur between neighbours, with one of them going away muttering and cursing. Then the other party would suffer a misfortune and would begin to suspect that they had been bewitched. They would talk to neighbours who might have similar suspicions and would then make a complaint to the local magistrate. It is possible that some of the accused women did practise magic and believed that they had the power to harm.
What led to huge rises in later Elizabethan times
The only surviving legal records of witchcraft trials are from south-east England and Cheshire. In the 1970s when historians began examining the surviving records, they discovered some very interesting things. The number of witchcraft trials shot up dramatically in the later years of Elizabeth's reign. There were 109 cases in the 1570s, 166 in the 1580s and 128 in the 1590s. These were the same decades which saw a huge rise in the population and big increases in poverty for many labouring people. In some years, poor harvests created tensions in many communities.
Witchcraft Accusations Peaked in the 1580s - Why
Social tensions
Poverty was a problem - people were less willing to help poorer neighbours leading to tension
Accusations often followed a dispute between neighbours
A typical case would begin with an elderly woman asking a neighbour for help - the elderly woman might curse their neighbour - then something bad might happen leading to an accusation
Gender explanations
Some historians explain it as part of repression against women stemming from views towards women
Vast majority of people accused were witches
Many of the accused were single, independent women who were thought to have special powers
Religious explanations
England became Protestant under Elizabeth with many Puritans
Puritans believed the Devil (Satan) was trying to harm good people and draw them into sin
Puritans wanted to root out these people, just as they were determined to end Catholic/pagan practices
Most witchcraft accusations were in Essex where Puritanism was strong. Witchcraft accusations were high in 'godly communities'