I. Rise and Fall of Witchcraft

1. Witchcraft Persecutions

1. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, between 100,000 and 200,000 people were officially tried for witchcraft.
2. Between 40,000 and 60,000 people were executed for witchcraft.
3. Elderly, widowed women were the most likely to be accused of witchcraft.

2. Reasons for the Growth of European Witch Hunts

1. Religious reformers stressed the great powers of the Devil. The Devil’s diabolical activities reinforced the widespread belief in witchcraft.
2. Women were believed to be weak and thus susceptible to the Devil’s temptations.
3. Religious wars and economic uncertainty caused great social and economic stress. Older, widowed women usually lacked power and thus became convenient scapegoats.

3. Reasons for the Decline of Witchcraft

1. Religious wars finally came to and end, thus restoring social stability.
2. Protestants emphasized the concept of a supreme God, thus making the Devil seem less threatening.
3. The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment emphasized reason and uniform laws of nature. Support for superstition and witchcraft declined as educated Europeans turned to rational explanations of natural events.