The witch hunts and witch trials that happened hundreds of years ago are some of the most infamous events that have happened throughout history.
Perhaps the most infamous witch trials were those that happened in Salem Massachusetts, in the United States of America. The Salem Witch Trials happened between 1692 and 1693. The European witch hunts and trials were already happening long before the Salem witch hunts took place - the Salem Witch Trials happened in the dying decades of the witch trials that were happening across Europe during the early modern era.
The witch-hunts were happening in Europe from 1450 to 1750. These witch-hunts resulted in the brutal deaths of both people and animals in Europe.
The witch-hunts in the early modern era of Europe, resulted in many different European countries having witch trials. These countries included - Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, England and many more. In England, the witch-trials resulted in the 'The Witchcraft Act 1542'. The Witchcraft Act 1542, was a law that King Henry VIII had passed. This law was passed in the final years of King Henry VIII's reign, as the Tudor monarch died in 1547. This resulted in Henry's son, Edward, becoming king of England - King Edward repealed the Witchcraft Act that his father had put in place. The witch trials didn't stop in England though at that point; they lasted from the 15th century to the 18th century in England. The witch trials in England resulted in hundreds of deaths, the vast majority of people persecuted and killed because of the witch trials, were women. In Scotland, there were different witchcraft acts. For example, the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563 was passed. This act resulted in witchcraft and associating with witches as a capital offence. It is estimated that witch trials and hunts were significantly higher in Scotland, compared to England - as it is estimated that there were thousands of people persecuted in Scotland for being witches.
King James VI of Scotland (James I of England), was perhaps the most notorious person in history to be associated with the witch hunts and trials. James was notoriouslysuperstitious ; his dark superstitious nature resulted in thisking's brutal witch hunts.
The Scottish king himself personally attended Scotland's first major witch trials; these witch trials were called the North Berwick witch trials. There was said to be between 70 to 200 women who were arrested and accused of being witches; these women were tortured upon their arrest and murdered - though the exact number of women persecuted in the North Berwick witch trials is unknown to this day. The witch hunts in Scotland were significantly worse than its neighbour England. While England was thought to have killed around 500 people (mostly women) of witchcraft, the death rate was 3 to 4 times higher in Scotland, as it is estimated that 3,000 to 4,000 women in Scotland were killed because they were accused of witchcraft. The Witchcraft Act 1735 During the height of the witch trials, Scotland and England were united in the union. The Act of Union 1707, united Scotland and England to form one country. The witch trials and witch hunts were still happening during this time, however, these hunts and trials were ending. The Witchcraft Act 1735, which was made law in the Kingdom of Britain, resulted in the killing of witches being outlaw in Britain. However, people could still be sent to prison for witchcraft. The last witch-hunting trials which happened in England were in 1717 in Leicester. The witch hunting trials seemed to put an end to people being killed in the name of witchcraft, however, women (largely) were still imprisoned for witchcraft up until very recent history, due to the Witchcraft Act 1735. Remarkably, Scotland's last witch was sent to prison in 1944! The persecution of women in the name of witchcraft, stopped in Britain when the Witchcraft Act of 1735 was repealed by the UK parliament in 1951.
The biggest amount of witch trials and hunts across Europe came between 1580 and 1630.
These witch hunts and trials happened in much of Europe. It is believed that men, women and even animals were killed as a result of the witch hunts. The vast majority of those killed in the name of witchcraft across Europe were women. And, most of these women were usually either middle-aged or elderly; they often lived alone too. These women were also poor and social outcasts. This resulted in the thousands of women (and some men), during the early modern era in Western Europe. It is estimated that as many as 200,000 people were killed, tortured and hanged as a result of being accused of witchcraft between 1484 and 1750. What Was The Reason For The Witch Hunts? A major driving force in the witch hunts and trials seemed to be misogyny : a hatred of women. The vast majority of those accused of witchcraft were women. It was believed that 80% of those persecuted and killed in the name of witchcraft in the early modern era, were women. This has resulted in people theorizing that the witch hunts which happened were driven bymisogyny. Another reason that people believe that the witch hunts happened, was due to mass hysteria and moral panic. Mass hysteria has been seen as the reason, specifically for the Salem witch trials. Other reasons for the witch hunts happening are - people not fitting in with the social and religious beliefs and ways of life at the time, persecution of elderly and old women. It seems likely that is was a combination of all of these things that resulted in the witch trials and hunts of the early modern era in history; rather than just one thing being responsible for them. The witch trials and hunts were one of Europe's most infamous and brutal events in history.
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The ''Unsinkable Molly Brown'', was one of the most famous passengers on the Titanic.
Her real name was Margret Brown. Before The Titanic Margret Brown was born on the 18th of July, 1867, in Missouri, the United States of America. She was born in a city in the state of Missouri called Hannibal. Margret's parents were John Tobin and Johanna Collins. She had a least two brothers, one sister and two half-sisters. In 1886, she married James Joseph Brown. Margret met James during the summer of 1886 and quickly married him; they married on the 1st of September 1886. Although they had a quick marriage, they had a long marriage - their marriage lasted for 23 years until they separated in 1909. They separated just 3 years before Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage. Molly Brown On The Titanic
In her lifetime, Molly was a socialite, actress, human rights campaigner and a philanthropist.
She was one of the most high-profile people on the Titanic and, was a first-class passenger. She boarded Titanic at Cherbourg, France, on Wednesday the 10th of April 1912. Molly survived the Titanic disaster and was rescued on boat 6 and then later was rescued with the Carpathia, when the Carpathia reached the Titanic disaster site during the early morning hours of the 15th of April 1912.
Once she got on board the Carpathia, Molly tried to help the poor people who survived the Titanic disaster, by raising funds for the poorest passengers. She also tried to help people onto lifeboats while still on the Titanic as it was sinking, and, she wanted the lifeboats to turn around and help people who were tragically in the water when the Titanic finally sunk beneath the waves.
It is for her heroic and charitable acts which she is most remembered for on the night that Titanic was sinking and in history. The ''Unsinkable Molly Brown'' died 20 years after the Titanic disaster. She died on the 26th of October 1932 in New York City, aged 65 years old. Sources: https://www.geni.com/people/The-Unsinkable-Molly-Brown-1st-Class-RMS-Titanic-Survivor/6000000012422526870 https://www.biography.com/historical-figure/molly-brown https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/molly-brown.html https://www.factinate.com/people/facts-molly-brown/ https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/molly-brown-3392.php
On this day in history in 1918, women won the right to vote in the UK!
How Did Women Gain The Vote? Women in the UK gained the right to vote through the Representation of the People Act 1918. The Representation of the People Act became law on the 6th of February 1918, several months after the bill was passed in the House of Commons - the House of Commons voted in favour of the Representation of the People Act on the 19th of June 1917, where there was resounding favour by parliamentarians for the bill (385 Members of Parliament - MPs - voted in favour of the bill, while only 55 MPs voted the bill down and refused to back it). After parliament voted in favour of the act, the Representation of the People Act 1918 became law. It resulted in women who were over 30 and had property gaining the right to vote in elections in the UK. The bill also resulted in all men over 21 being allowed to vote. It resulted in millions of women and men being enfranchised. Not all women could vote though. However, that didn't last long: just ten years later, the 1928 Equal Franchise Act passed as law. The 1928 Equal Franchise Act resulted in all men and women being allowed to vote in the UK who were over 21.
On this day in history, the ‘Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918’ was passed in the UK parliament. The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 allowed women over the age of 21 to stand in elections in the UK to become a member of parliament (MP).
Beforehand, women weren’t allowed to stand to be members of parliament, and therefore, were not allowed to be political representatives. However, that changed thanks to the ‘Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918. The act meant that women could stand in general elections to campaign to become members of parliament. The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 was very specific and to the point. It is the shortest political act in the history of the UK, as it is only a few sentences long. But even though it is short, this political act is significant in women’s history, as it allowed women to become political representatives just like men.
The act itself says:
‘’An act to amend the Law with respect to the Capacity of Women to sit in parliament. Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lord’s Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in the present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows :-----
This act came into effect on the 21st of November 1918, just several months after some women won the right to vote in the UK during the same year. On the 6th of February 1918, the ‘Representation of the People Act 1918’ was passed as law. The Representation of the People Act 1918 allowed women allowed women over the age of 30, who had property could now vote in general elections in the UK. The Representation of the People Act 1918 also allowed all men over the age of 21 to vote, whether they had property or not. Therefore, this act resulted in enfranchising most men within the United Kingdom and some women. With most men being allowed to participate in politics, and some women being allowed, it resulted in the foundations of our democracy being built here in the UK. Source: https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/womenvote/parliamentary-collections/nancy-astor/parliament-qualification-of-women-act/ https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/womenvote/case-study-the-right-to-vote/the-right-to-vote/birmingham-and-the-equal-franchise/1918-representation-of-the-people-act/
Mary I of England is crowned monarch on this day in history, on the 1st of October 1553. The coronation of Mary I took place on October 1st 1553 at Westminster Abbey, were she was crowned Queen of England, Wales and Ireland.
The coronation was like all royal coronations and events - it was lavish and a spectacle to be seen. Mary wore a striking purple velvet gown to her coronation, with ermines. Her procession to Westminster Abbey to be crowned Queen was just as lavish - her procession throughout London to Westminster Abbey was led by six horse and carts, all of which had important and high profile figures inside of them, including Mary’s half sister - the future Elizabeth I, and Henry VIII’s fourth wife - Anne of Cleeves. Both Mary I and Elizabeth I were the daughters of Henry VIII.
Mary Tudor’s Accession To The Throne
Mary Tudor’s (Mary I’s) accession to the throne was a messy and bloody affair. Mary took over as ruling monarch after her brother Edward died in 1553. Edward was the successor of Henry VIII. However, he wasn’t a long King, due to the fact that he became ill in his life, it also didn’t help him that he was only a child as monarch. Edward became Edward VI as King Henry VIII died. He then died himself on the 6th of July 1553 of tuberculosis. Mary’s accession to the throne became a messy and bloody affair due to Edward VI actions - he stated that he did not want the line of succession to be passed on to Mary. Edward was a protestant, and Mary was a catholic, Edward feared that by Mary succeeding him she would restore Catholicism to be England’s dominant religion - his fears weren’t unfounded, for Mary Tudor’s future reign showed a woman who went to brutal lengths to punish those who were protestant, for nothing more than their faith - it gave her the notorious title ‘Bloody Mary’. Before that, however, Mary was still to be crowned Queen. Upon the death of her half brother, the crown didn’t go straight to Mary’s head. Although Edward did say that he did not want Mary to become Queen, the Third Succession Act created by Henry VIII in 1543 restored both Mary and Elizabeth in the line of succession to the throne. Therefore, legally Mary was the successor of Edward VI. It didn’t prove that simple for Mary though, due to Edward’s statements about not wanting Mary to succeed him, he opened the door to a messy fight for the crown.
Lady Jane Grey was named Queen upon the death of Edward, on the 10th of July 1553. Edward had died four days earlier on the 6th of July 1553. Lady Jane Grey was never crowned Queen and her threat to the throne didn’t last long - she is known as the nine-day-Queen, for she was imprisoned in the Tower of London on the 19th of July 1553 on Mary’s commands due to Lady Jane Grey attempting to take the throne from Mary.
Just a few months later, on October 1st 1553, Mary was crowned the rightful Queen, while Lady Jane Grey was executed the following year on the 12th of February 1554 at Tower Green. Mary I Made History Mary I made history by being crowned Queen. Although there were Queens before her, they were only Queen consorts. Whereas, Mary became the first Queen regent of England, Wales and Ireland. By becoming Queen regent, she became the first female monarch to have the status and power of a King and reign in her own right as Queen. The coronation of Mary I took place on the 1st of October 1553. Sources: https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/tudor-england/marys-coronation/ https://www.historyofroyalwomen.com/anne-of-cleves/the-year-of-mary-i-the-coronation2/ https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/1st-october-1553-coronation-of-mary-i/ https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/mary-i http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/actsuccession3.htm https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/lady-jane-grey/ |
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