The Witch Craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580-c1750 | Edexcel A-Level History (9HI0)

The Witch Craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580-c1750

190 questions
19 subtopics
Paper 3: themes in breadth with aspects in depth, one option of sixteen
Paper 3

A Paper 3 option combining aspects in breadth on changing beliefs about the natural world and the growth of scepticism with aspects in depth on four episodes of persecution: North Berwick, Pendle, Bamberg and Salem, and on the Hopkins hunts in East Anglia..

It covers the existence and growth of scepticism, c1580–c1750, notable sceptic publications, c1580-c1750, making sense of the universe and its impact, c1580–c1750, the changing approach to human understanding and knowledge, c1580–c1750, the origins of the persecution, the widening net of accusation, the extent of persecutions in Scotland to 1597, the context of the Pendle witch trials, the origins of the case, the Pendle trial of 1612, the economic, political and religious context, numbers and social groups affected by the witch hunts, why the Bamberg witch hunt ended, economic and political context, geography, numbers, class and gender of victims, the ending of the witch craze, the social, economic and political context of Salem, the influence of Cotton Mather and why the Salem witch hunt ended.

Sample questions from The Witch Craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580-c1750

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

The existence and growth of scepticism, c1580–c1750

What was the Bury St Edmunds trial of 1662?

Show the answer
A trial at which Sir Thomas Browne testified for the prosecution and two women were hanged; it was later cited both as precedent and as a warning.
Making sense of the universe and its impact, c1580–c1750

Why is Kepler's defence of his mother significant?

Show the answer
It shows old and new ideas coexisting in the same mind, and how a leading astronomer's family could still be caught by village accusation.
The origins of the persecution

Why did the king's stormy crossing from Denmark matter?

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Storms delayed his bride Anne and then his own return in 1590, and since Denmark was already prosecuting witches for the storms, the idea was carried to Scotland.
The extent of persecutions in Scotland to 1597

Why were Scottish persecutions more severe than English?

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Scotland used judicial torture, allowed local commissions to try witches, had a Calvinist kirk that policed morals, and lacked strong central control of the courts.
The origins of the case

About how old was Jennet Device when she testified?

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About nine years old.
The economic, political and religious context

What economic crises preceded the hunts?

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Failed harvests from cold summers in the 1620s, hyperinflation during the Kipper und Wipper coinage crisis, and famine, all blamed on weather magic.
Why the Bamberg witch hunt ended

Why did the Bamberg persecutions come to an end?

Show the answer
Complaints reached the Imperial Chamber Court and the Emperor, the Swedish army's approach removed the prince-bishop's power, and relatives of victims found redress.
Geography, numbers, class and gender of victims

What supposed bodily sign was taken as proof of a pact with the Devil?

Show the answer
The Devil's mark (or witch's mark).

The 19 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
The existence and growth of scepticism, c1580–c1750	Recall questions on what scepticism actually meant, the Boy of Bilson and other exposed frauds, spectral evidence, Jane Wenham, and why judges stopped convicting.	11
Notable sceptic publications, c1580-c1750	Recall questions on Reginald Scot and how his book was received, Harsnett on Darrel, Thomas Ady, Weyer, and Friedrich Spee's attack on the procedure.	9
Making sense of the universe and its impact, c1580–c1750	Recall questions on Kepler and his mother's trial, Galileo, the mechanical philosophy, Newton, and why science did not simply defeat witchcraft.	10
The changing approach to human understanding and knowledge, c1580–c1750	Recall questions on Bacon and empiricism, the Royal Society, Locke, the Enlightenment view of superstition, and how slowly ideas reached ordinary people.	10
The origins of the persecution	Recall questions on Gilly Duncan's confession, James VI's voyage from Denmark, the Danish influence, what the accused were said to have done, and the role of torture.	10
The widening net of accusation	Recall questions on Agnes Sampson and John Fian, the king's personal involvement, why Bothwell was implicated, and what happened to him.	10
The extent of persecutions in Scotland to 1597	Recall questions on Daemonologie, why Scottish trials were more severe than English, the local commissions, the great hunt of 1597, and the role of the kirk.	9
The context of the Pendle witch trials	Recall questions on the poverty of the Pendle area, Lancashire's reputation for recusancy, the 1604 statute, charity refusal, and the position of cunning folk.	10
The origins of the case	Recall questions on Alizon Device and John Law, why her admission mattered, Old Demdike and Old Chattox, Roger Nowell, and the Malkin Tower meeting.	10
The Pendle trial of 1612	Recall questions on the judges, how the trial was conducted, Jennet Device's evidence, the outcome, and Thomas Potts's published account.	10
The economic, political and religious context	Recall questions on Counter-Reformation zeal in Bamberg, the effect of the Thirty Years War, harvest failure and the coinage crisis, and why weather magic was blamed.	10
Numbers and social groups affected by the witch hunts	Recall questions on the prince-bishop and Friedrich Forner, why the wealthy were targeted, property confiscation, and the letter of Johannes Junius.	11
Why the Bamberg witch hunt ended	Recall questions on the Imperial Chamber Court, Ferdinand II's intervention, the Swedish advance, the Drudenhaus, and what the ending shows.	10
Economic and political context	Recall questions on the effect of the English Civil War on the courts, the statutes of 1563 and 1604, why East Anglia was vulnerable, and Puritan belief.	10
Geography, numbers, class and gender of victims	Recall questions on where English executions were concentrated, the methods used by Hopkins and Stearne, swimming and watching, and the devil's mark.	10
The ending of the witch craze	Recall questions on the growing cost of prosecution, the return of assize justice, John Gaule's attack, the last trials, and the repeal of 1736.	10
The social, economic and political context of Salem	Recall questions on the revoked charter, frontier warfare, the divisions of Salem Village, Samuel Parris, and the Puritan understanding of Satan.	10
The influence of Cotton Mather	Recall questions on Memorable Providences, Mather's ambiguous position on spectral evidence, Tituba's confession, the other instigators, and why confessing saved lives.	10
Why the Salem witch hunt ended	Recall questions on Increase Mather's Cases of Conscience, Governor Phips's actions, what happened once spectral evidence was excluded, the final toll, and the later apologies.	10

The Witch Craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580-c1750 is 190 of the 6,832 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £9

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.