Salem witch trials A woman standing before judges, defending herself against accusations of being a witch, while a supposedly bewitched girl lies on the floor; hand-colored engraving, 1876. (more) early modern witch trials persecution, Europe and the Americas [15th–18th centuries] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/early-modern-witch-trial Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Ethan Doyle White Possessing a PhD in Medieval History and Archaeology from University College London, Ethan Doyle White writes on religion, folklore, history, and archaeology - with a particular focus on areas of cultural... Ethan Doyle White Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 12, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What were the early modern witch trials? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The early modern witch trials took place in Europe and the Americas from the 15th to the 18th century and saw the extensive persecution of people accused of practicing witchcraft and Satanism." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How many people were prosecuted and executed during the witch trials? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Historians estimate that nearly 100,000 people were prosecuted and that 40,000 to 60,000 were executed. More than three-fourths of the total number were women." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What differentiated early modern witch hunts from earlier accusations of witchery? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Although accusations of witchcraft did occur in Europe during the Middle Ages and earlier, the early modern witch trials were often fueled by a new understanding of witchcraftu2014that it consisted not only of cursing or hexing but also the Satanic worship of the Devil, as reflected in gatherings often called witchesu2019 sabbaths." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What propelled the rise of witch trials during the early modern period? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "In the early 15th century various ideas about Satanic rituals and witchcraft began to coalesce, likely in the western Alps in the 1420s and u201930s. The resulting concept then spread throughout Europe via ecclesiastical contacts and books about witchcraft, which in turn were aided by the development of the printing press. The rise of the inquisitorial procedure as a method for judicial investigations of alleged crimes also played a role." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How were alleged witches tortured or killed? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "During some witch trials, people plunged suspected witches into water, believing that the innocent would sink and the guilty would float. People found guilty of witchcraft were commonly strangled and then burned at the stake or, in English territories, hanged." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What factors contributed to the decline of witch trials? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "New judicial procedures demanded higher standards of evidence, which reduced prosecutions. Once the trials had ended, various governments repealed their antiwitchcraft laws." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How did witch trials vary geographically? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Witch trials were most intense in west-central Europe, whereas other areas of Europe, such as Ireland, saw almost no witch-hunting. Neighboring countries could show clear differences: Scotlandu2019s trials were more severe than Englandu2019s. Sex ratios of the accused also varied by region." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What impact did the early modern witch trials have on modern culture? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "In the 20th century the early modern witch trials inspired new religious movements such as Wicca. They have also provided raw material for numerous works of literature and film, including Arthur Milleru2019s play The Crucible (1953), which, through its implicit criticism of McCarthyism, popularized the term witch hunt to refer to unjustified persecution driven by irrational fears." } } ] } Top Questions What were the early modern witch trials? The early modern witch trials took place in Europe and the Americas from the 15th to the 18th century and saw the extensive persecution of people accused of practicing witchcraft and Satanism.

　　How many people were prosecuted and executed during the witch trials? Historians estimate that nearly 100,000 people were prosecuted and that 40,000 to 60,000 were executed. More than three-fourths of the total number were women.

　　What differentiated early modern witch hunts from earlier accusations of witchery? Although accusations of witchcraft did occur in Europe during the Middle Ages and earlier, the early modern witch trials were often fueled by a new understanding of witchcraft—that it consisted not only of cursing or hexing but also the Satanic worship of the Devil, as reflected in gatherings often called witches’ sabbaths.

　　What propelled the rise of witch trials during the early modern period? In the early 15th century various ideas about Satanic rituals and witchcraft began to coalesce, likely in the western Alps in the 1420s and ’30s. The resulting concept then spread throughout Europe via ecclesiastical contacts and books about witchcraft, which in turn were aided by the development of the printing press. The rise of the inquisitorial procedure as a method for judicial investigations of alleged crimes also played a role.

　　How were alleged witches tortured or killed? During some witch trials, people plunged suspected witches into water, believing that the innocent would sink and the guilty would float. People found guilty of witchcraft were commonly strangled and then burned at the stake or, in English territories, hanged.

　　What factors contributed to the decline of witch trials? New judicial procedures demanded higher standards of evidence, which reduced prosecutions. Once the trials had ended, various governments repealed their antiwitchcraft laws.

　　How did witch trials vary geographically? Witch trials were most intense in west-central Europe, whereas other areas of Europe, such as Ireland, saw almost no witch-hunting. Neighboring countries could show clear differences: Scotland’s trials were more severe than England’s. Sex ratios of the accused also varied by region.

　　What impact did the early modern witch trials have on modern culture? In the 20th century the early modern witch trials inspired new religious movements such as Wicca. They have also provided raw material for numerous works of literature and film, including Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible (1953), which, through its implicit criticism of McCarthyism, popularized the term witch hunt to refer to unjustified persecution driven by irrational fears.

　　early modern witch trials, a series of persecutions for alleged witchcraft conducted in Europe and the Americas from the 15th to the 18th century. This period covers the end of the late Middle Ages and the subsequent early modern period. During the era of the trials, witchcraft was increasingly regarded not only as the malevolent use of supernatural or occult power but also as an anti-Christian form of Satanism involving veneration of the Devil. Historians have estimated that during this time nearly 100,000 people were prosecuted for witchcraft, of whom between 40,000 and 60,000 were executed, the majority of them ...(100 of 2251 words)

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