HIST 2B Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Postpartum Depression, Alonso De Salazar, Heinrich Kramer
20 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Why did early modern europe embark on large-scale witch hunts in the 16th and 17th centuries: prolonged economic instability and warfare combined with changing understandings of magic produced a panic environment. How did europeans understand witchcraft, and why did the witch hunts end: witchcraft, seen as demonic possession, became an explanation for crop failures and other mundane problems. Conditions of life 1500-1650: recovery from post-plague demographic, economic trough, population growth, 16th century: 20-30, cost of living goes up, more need for food, falling wages, inflation b/c of american silver. Propserity at a price: 16th century: growing material prosperity and social divisions intensify, merchants are doing well, urban middle class prospers, increasingly worried, 25% of population in england, france-landless poor, anti-poor laws, cities drove poor out of town. Political problems rising costs of warfare: european rulers were in competition for colonies overseas, competition for colonies and markets, war loans financed by german, italian bankers, circulates money in spain.
