1560 and 1650, Europe Experienced

¶ … 1560 and 1650, Europe experienced serious economic and social crises, as well as political cataclysm. The dramatic rise in price that was commonly referred to as price revolution was a chief economic predicament all over Europe during the 16th and early 17th centuries, the influx of gold and silver from the new world was one of the factors that led to this inflation. Another factor that cannot be assumed was the rapid rise in population in the 16th century which led to demand for land and food leading to a rise in the prices for both. However, this inflation also had its good sides since the rise in prices and expanding markets brought about expansion and prosperity in the economy.

The population standings in the 16th and 17th centuries indicated the worsening condition of Europe, though it stabilized by 1620 and even began to decrease by 1650. Europe had long time enemies -- famine, war, and plague -- these continued to distress the level of population. A new "little Ice Age" that occurred after the mid-16th century led to a decline in average temperatures this impaired harvests and led to famines. These problems in Europe eventually generated social tensions within Europe as was clearly exhibited by the witchcraft craze. The witchcraft craze was characterized by hysteria over witchcraft and this really influenced the lives of many even though witchcraft was in existence even before this time. The widespread of this was brought about by religious uncertainties with the catholic church associating witchcraft to the devil' activities. There is also a likelihood that the tribulations of the society in turmoil could have contributed to this hysteria during the middle ages. The number of witchcraft trials were more on women than men and there was no accident in this since from the Middle Ages those who wrote about witchcraft indicated that there was a direct link between witchcraft and women. This hysteria subsided by the end of the 17th century and this was aided towards the end by the widespread of science and people found it unreasonable believing the old view of the devil haunting people.

Between 1618 and 1648, there was an outbreak of war which was mainly caused by the struggle between a militant Calvinism and a militant Catholicism in fact it was referred to as the "last of the religious wars." Furthermore, prior to, all through, and after this three decades war, a sequence of civil wars and rebellions hit Europe. All this events and problems greatly affected Europe economically, socially, and even politically and actually qualify to be categorized as crises.

Question 2:

For the period of the 16th and 17th centuries, the European society did not respect women at all since they considered them inferior to men both mentally and morally thus were directly linked to witchcraft during the witchcraft craze. To make it worse was the fact that these low estimates were not just held by the witch hunter but also by the elites such as lawyers, theologians, and philosophers. This meant that women held a very low, useless, and evil position in European society during the 16th and 17th centuries.