Witch trials in the early modern period
During the European witch panic, which occurred for nearly three centuries, around 100,000 people were put on trial for heresy.
With the fall of Acre and end of the Crusades in 1291, the wealth of the Crusader orders became harder to justify. Witches emerged as an issue of public concern at the time of the trials of the Knights Templar in 1307 to 1310. These trials promoted the idea that the failure of the Crusades could be blamed on Satanism.
The development of printing led to the widespread distribution of books such as Hammer of Witches (Malleus Maleficarum, 1486), which advocated the treatment of witchcraft as a criminal offense.
From 1450 to 1750 between 30,000 to 40,000 were executed. The largest amount were concentrated between the years 1580 to 1630.[1]
Contrast with the Salem Witch Trials which lasted a little over one year, but are portrayed as one of the worst episodes in American history.[2]
