Witchcraft in the 17th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Witchcraft in the 17th Century - Essay ExampleMany women owned property and operated farms and businesses in competition with their male neighbors. Disputes arose, especially later on a husband died and left property to his widow. (Wilson, 78) This period of news report was marked by politico-religious exhilaration too. The gender politics that began as a reaction to womens economic em indicatorment got mixed with bigotry. Hence, women were now much more likely than men to be accused of witchcraft and tortured that way. The events like the Salem Witch Trials (1692) manifested as an orgy of violence, brinyly targeted against women. The policymakers were then frightened to witness the mass hysteria associated with the power of the Puritans. Hence, banning this practice became a legislative imperative. Hence an effort to make the politico-legal system of America more even-handed towards women began which continued even during the 19th century as has been pointed out by Gretchen. As shown in the film The Crucible, in relation to the Salem Witch Trials, Nilan has pointed out, Nineteen villagers were hung as witches, four died in prison and one was pressed to death. This sort of superstitious terror inevitably led to policy reforms and prohibition. 2. Which one of the following do you think were the main two winners and which were the main two losers in Englands Glorious Revolution of 1689, and how and why did the Revolution lead to an expansion of the British Parliaments policy of Salutary disregard toward its American possessions? Parties involved British Monarchy, British Parliament, Church of England, Protestant Dissenters, and Catholics. Answer The Glorious Revolution of 1689 in England was an event of tremendous importance in the history of not only Europe but also America. The revolution although strengthened the Parliament and democracy, it also encouraged discrimination against Catholics. The main winners 1. British Parliament By inviting the William o f Orange to invade England, the British Parliament ensured the partnership of the superior Dutch naval fleet. After deposing King James II, the Parliament now did not bequeath much power to the new monarch William III (the William of Orange). Instead, it began to increase its power more and more as it levied maritime advantage by the merger of position and Dutch fleets. 2. Protestant Dissenters Members from both the Tories and the Whigs united under the common umbrella of Protestant reaction against a possible Catholic Monarchy, and they ultimately established a parliamentary system that strongly favored the Protestants. In this way, Protestants prevailed. The main losers 1. British Monarchy Since King James II was deposed, not only the possibility of a Catholic dynasty was destroyed but also the very institution of the Monarchy itself began to decline rapidly under the pressure of the British Parliament. 2. Catholics Protestants were the majority in the British Parliament after t he events of 1689. They eradicated the Catholics from the political system. Thousands of Catholics lost power and property in the subsequent decades.