Between 1500 and 1700, England underwent enormous social and religious changes. These transformations affected every part of life, from crime and justice to how people saw the world around them.
As society shifted, so did the nature of crime. There was an increase in offenses against individuals, property, and authority. Fear and suspicion became widespread, and witchcraft accusations often followed.
By the 1600s England was in turmoil; the country divided by a brutal civil war which raged between 1642 and 1651. On one side stood King Charles I and his supporters, the Royalists. On the other, those who backed Parliament, known as the Parliamentarians.
King Charles believed he had the divine right to rule without interference. Between 1629 and 1640, he refused to summon Parliament. But governing without their approval made it difficult to raise money. His unpopular taxes and religious policies angered many, leading to rebellion. By August 1642, England was at war with itself.
The war left devastation in its wake. Many men went off to fight, leaving women to fend for themselves. Villages saw an increase in displaced people, many of whom were strangers. The movement of people bred suspicion, and in times of hardship, communities searched for scapegoats.
The fear of witches was deeply tied to religious beliefs. The Civil War wasn’t just a political struggle; it was also a battle over faith.
Many Puritans, who supported Parliament, believed that witchcraft was being used by the Royalists, some of whom were Catholic. The idea that witches were working against God fuelled a surge in accusations.
Long before the war, King James I had encouraged the hunting of witches. In 1603, he published a book called Daemonologie, which claimed that witchcraft was real and must be eradicated. His beliefs shaped laws that made witch trials more frequent and severe.
By the late 1600s, England was becoming more stable. Economic growth and political stability meant people had less reason to fear unseen forces. While some still believed in witches and the Devil, and others, especially the educated, became more skeptical.
In 1660, King Charles II founded the Royal Society, a group dedicated to scientific discovery. Their experiments helped explain natural phenomena that had once been blamed on witchcraft. Slowly, people began to turn away from superstition and towards reason.
After the Civil War prosecutions for witchcraft declined, and by 1736, all witchcraft laws were repealed. People who claimed to use magic could no longer be executed, but they could still be fined or imprisoned