Changes for the Decline and End to Witch-hunting

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Changes for the Decline and End to Witch-hunting
Introduction
The decline and end to witch-hunting was a gradual process with the 17th century being the height to the end of witch-hunting. The witches in Europe were mainly women who had supernatural powers over other human beings and nature (Hannam par 5). Witches were always employed to find lost items, cast spells on people, heal a disease, give love portions, and various other purposes. The decline and end to witchcraft in Europe is highly attributed to the absence of what prompted it initially. For this reason, the factors that led to the development of witchcraft in Europe also contributed to its decline and end. The changes that contributed to the fall and end to witch hunting can be classified into political, social, philosophical, and institutional.
Political Changes
Decentralization was one of the legislative changes that led to the decline and end of witch-hunting. Decentralization was a result of the frequent occurrence of wars, violence, confusion, and instability due to political, economic, and religious issues. For example, the Protestant Reformations led to the Dutch Revolt and the Thirty Years' War. During this time, anyone accused of performing witchcraft was prosecuted, although the environment was the most favorable for witchcraft. Most of the witch hunts conducted were due to political reasons. For instance, the Great Scottish Witch hunt from 1661 to 1662, where six hundred and sixty people accused of witchcraft were arrested and sentenced (Brown par 2). Therefore, it is essential to note that once political stability was established and authority decentralized, a reduction in the witch hunts was recorded.
The occupation of the authority vacuum in the judiciary is another political factor leading to the decline and end of witch-hunting. Political stability was created when some justices from England were replaced in Scottland during the Great Scottish Witch Hunt. Due to the vacuum of authority, Matthew Hopkins assumed the office of the Witch-finder General during the chaotic days of the English Civil war (Hannam par 3). Additionally, the Salem outbreak of 1692 occurred when there was a vacuum of authority. Since there was a vacuum of power, most of the people arrested and sentenced for witchcraft were not pursued officially. In brief, the occupation of all the vacant posts in the judiciary brought political stability, hence reducing witch-hunting.
Social Changes
The social changes in Europe during that period also contributed to the decline and end of witch-hunting. A connection was established by most scholars who assembled records showing that most women who practiced sorcery were vulnerable. These women were lonely, lacked a social standing, and were financially weak in society. For these reasons, the women had no husbands, money, or social status to protect them against the accusations (Hannam par 12). Due to the improvement in conditions, the number of vulnerable women reduced; hence fewer women were prosecuted for practicing witchcraft. Besides, implementing the Poor Law in Europe, classifying the poor as incapable, led to a reduction in vulnerable women. Most of ...