1. Carol Rioux Kingwood High School Kingwood, Texas

2. From 1560 to 1650 Europe experienced an economic and social crises. Why? 1. Inflation, brought about by the influx of gold and silver plus the growing population which drove up prices 2. Economic slowdown 3. Population levels off around 1620, then starts to decline. Warfare, plague, and famine contributed to the decline and created social tension

3. A belief in witchcraft had been a part of village culture for centuries. Now a hysteria developed because of the social unrest. Common people were accused of witchcraft. 75% were women and most were over 50 and single or widowed.

4. At the height of its popularity, The Malleus Maleficarum was surpassed in public notoriety only by The Bible. The Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of the Witches), written by Sprenger and Kramer, two Dominican monks, was the standard handbook on the practices of witchcraft and the methods that could be used to discover and try witches.

5. By 1650, the hysteria began to fade. Governments grew stronger and officials didn’t want to disrupt society with trials. Plus attitudes were changing and it was unreasonable to believe the world was haunted by evil spirits.

7. Death of Mary Tudor brought her half-sister, Elizabeth to throne. Elizabeth restored Protestantism to England “New” Act of Supremacy made Elizabeth “the only supreme governor” of both church and state Instituted a “moderate” Protestantism in hopes of satisfying most people

8. Hoped to avoid conflict by following a moderate foreign policy. In attempt to balance power between Spain and France, she lent her support to whichever side seemed weaker at the time. In spite her attempts to avoid war, she was forced to deal with Philip II after she ordered the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary Stuart

9. Angered by the death of Mary Stuart and having secured the blessing of the pope, Philip ordered the Armada to invade England. Spanish naval officers realized that without a miracle, the battle would be lost.

10. The miracle appeared to be on the side of England – “Protestants Winds” England’s navy possessed faster more maneuverable ships with many more long-range guns. The Armanda lost many ships as it sailed back around Scotland and Ireland to reach home. Victory assured the independence of a Protestant England and the decline of Spain as a sea power