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People believed that witches were around in the 17th century due to there being many rumours going around that old women who had black cats and had a cauldron were witches. For testing these rumours there were two methods that they used, swimming a witch and burning them alive. Swimming a witch was when they tied up the person that they thought was a witch and placed them on the water. If they floated they were a witch because the water didn't want witches in the water and later on they would be burnt alive. If they drowned they were innocent but they died anyway because nobody fetched them out the water. So basically if they were accused of being a witch they would die.

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13y ago
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9y ago

Under British law, the basis for Massachusetts Bay Colony legal structure in the 17th century, those who were accused of consorting with the devil were considered felons, having committed a crime against their government. The punishment for such a crime was hanging.

Of course the childish and religiously driven belief that there were witches and they had special powers to consort with the devil created a large scale mania in a population that was driven by fear of the unknown. Well known clergy of the times preached of the devil and his doings from every pulpit and the people believed. They heaped their fears upon the heads of unpopular people or people who acted in some odd manner who were accused of being witches and tortured and killed in the village square. It is a case study in human psychology gone wrong, terribly wrong.

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14y ago

they would go through lots of torcher and would suffer very bad injurys until they died finally.

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14y ago
    • the past in the olden times
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11y ago

Witches were the agents of the devil, enemies of Jesus Christ, who were to be put to death if discovered.

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14y ago

they hated witches and burned them

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3y ago

ma la coque

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Q: What were peoples attitudes toward witches in 17Th century England?
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Related questions

What were the 17th century people of England scared of?

witches and the spanish armada


When was the Colchester Castle made?

Colchester Castle (In England) was made in 16th Century and was ruined by witches!


What was the 16th century attitude to witches?

they hated witches


What did witches from the 17th century hate the most?

Witches were blamed for stuff like: if peoples crops failed to grow they would blame it on witches they were blamed if there was storms at sea. They were blamed if there was freak weather conditions. And if and illnesses or sudden deaths happened.


How old were witches in the 17th century?

Any age. Even small children could be identified as witches.


How were witches caught?

witches were caught int he 16th and 17th century by being tested in different ways


How common were witches in the 17th century?

There were multiple people said to be witches. They were never proven true or false. There were told to be about 10 witches in a town per year.


Did the New England colony believe in witches?

yes


What did witches do in the 16th century?

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What country do witches come from?

Witches come from all countries and have been mentioned in many religions since the beginning of time. When monotheistic religions become more popular and/or enforced witch was used to describe what Pagan/non-Christian peoples called healers and medicine women.


What are Elizabethan attitudes toward the witches?

they believed in witches and ghosts. in Shakespeare's play Macbeth they would have really believed that banqos ghost had come back to haunt Macbeth they had several superstitions to do with ghosts.


What 19th century beliefs are there?

19th century.. Victorians believed in the supernatural things like witches and ghosts.