Life in the 16th & 17th centuries
Social Hierarchy
Rural regions:
 Local Nobles (Landlords) are at the top while
landless peasant were at the bottom.
These peasants represented the largest % of the pop.
and had the worst jobs with little to no rights
Social Hierarchy
Urban regions:
Royalty remained at the top of the social ladder
Often befriended the bourgeoisie to supplement their
treasury.
Wealthy, sometimes educated merchants
(bourgeoisie)
Exchanged wealth for influence
Craftsmen and simple laborers were at the
bottom.
Demography
Patriarchal society that undervalues women
Most families are nuclear
Grandparents are not very common b/c of low life
expectancy
Huge population boom in the 16th. & 17th
centuries.
Life span for a woman:25 for a man:27
Reasons???
Witch Hunts
Europeans placed a large emphasis on magic,
supersititons, stereotypes, and miracles.
These could be positive (good luck charms) &
gave the faithful hope that they were heard by a
merciful God.
Most who claimed power were poor, elderly,
and women (sometimes all three)
What is there to gain from this claim?
The Church’s role…
The Catholic Church believed in supernatural
powers and occurances.
Powers deemed good=sainthood or miracles
Powers deemed evil=witchcraft & the devil
By protecting towns from the devil this allows
the Church to gather the undying loyalty of
the villagers who they saved.
Signs you too might be a witch…
 Women were seen as weaker vessels of God’s grace
and thus easily seduced by the devil
 Literally, they mean seduced is this just another claim or are
they intimidated by the suggestion of women being
confident/in control of their sexuality?
 80% of victims were women
 between 70,000-100,000 ppl were killed between 1400-1700
 Most were between 45-60, often midwives
 Physical signs(warts, moles, birthmarks, scratches) or
Invisible signs (spirit animal, soul flying out of one’s
body, etc.)
Control or fear?
Were the witch hunts a way for men to
control women who were otherwise free of
male control???
Misogyny or a real fear of witchcraft?
What stereotypes are present?
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Who profits from these women’s
misfortune?…Walt Disney…
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
End of the Witch Hunts
The Scientific Revolution in the 16th/17th
centuries began to discredit witch hunts/trials
The Sci Rev. encouraged reason and logic to
explain life instead of miracles, magic, or
superstition.
People could explain sickness and insurance
companies became popular business ventures
during this time.
Now insurance instead of religious or magical
practices protected ppl from disaster…
End of Witch Hunts
Witch trials also declined b/c they were
dangerous for EVERYONE in town!
Often the accused became the accuser in order to
save themselves and so on and so on…
Torture caused many to confess which destroyed
their reputations, self-esteem, and for many belief
in a merciful or gracious God.
Obviously, the prestige and power of the Catholic Church
declines as a result…