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Apr 30, 2026
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2023-2024 Graduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.
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HIST 504 The European Witchcraze
This is a graduate-level class that is designed to familiarize students with the history of the European Witchcraze. This era in early modern European history from c. 1450-1750 saw upwards of 100,000 women, men, and children convicted of the crime of witchcraft and executed. We will begin our study of this phenomenon trying to answer the question, “why did European society suddenly begin persecuting a vast number of individuals as witches in this period?” Here we will examine the confluence of intellectual, social, religious, political, and legal forces that gave rise to the witchcraze. We will also pay close attention to the role that gender, occupation, age, and family status played in generating charges of witchcraft against individuals across Europe in this era as well. Next, we will examine the witch hunts and study the witch trials as they unfolded across Europe, and explore why these processes took on different characteristics in different regions. Students will come away from this class having gained a familiarity with the latest scholarship being produced in this field of research, as well as a knowledge of the vast wealth of primary sources available for the study of the witchcraze. Students will also acquire a deep appreciation for the complexity of this horrific episode in the history of Western Europe.
Credit 3 hrs May not be repeated for additional credit
Grade Mode Normal (A-F) Course Rotation Irregular Schedule (in-person/hybrid, hyflex, or online)
Prerequisites -
Restriction by Major -
Restriction by Degree Type - Graduate standing
Equivalent Course(s) -
Course History -
New Course 10/2020, effective Fall 2021
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