Persecution Case
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From the 1400s to the 1600s, the persecution of individuals as witches in Europe became unstoppable. The witch rage took place mainly in southwestern Germany, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Poland, and parts of France. After the wrath was over, the total number of witches accused and put on trial was abruptly 100,000 plus. Witches were tortured in several areas, so that they would confess to their dishonesty; however, in England torture was not the answer. Three main reasons why the persecution of individuals as witches in Europe took place were economic greed, social prejudices, and religious beliefs.
Economic greed was triggering factors that lead to many persecutions. The witches accused were primarily burdened with great wealth. The persecutors wanted to inherit wealth from these people. Some people that grew rich were the innkeepers, notaries, and copyists. The witches accused and put on trial were not the only ones affected; their families had their goods removed. A professor named Brian Levack once stated, “Women incurred hostility of men when they wanted to inherit their land. They had no reason to accuse these men except for their own economic desires.” Studies show that the witchcrafts accused were the wives of the wealthy husbands. The solely proclaimed witches were targeted because of their abundant amount of goods and wealth.
The religious beliefs and superstitions of the witches were also taken into account.