... witches. Two words that related to the Jewish religion were taken and then coined and used as terms associated with witches. Minority groups of the times such as the Jews, and the lepers were especially effected by the outbreak of witchcraft. Not only did witchcraft effect groups of people, but ... another person could accuse them of being a witch to get rid of them. People were using witchcraft as a "weapon" to rid themselves of enemies. Many times there was no reason to believe the person was actually a witch, but it was a no win situation. If they were accused they were going to ... i...

• Word Count: 2722
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School

... of men; the least devout, least scrupulous, least compassionate, and among the least chaste - lechers, almost without exception. Ruthless in their pursuit of political power and personal gain, they were medieval despots who used their holy office for blackmail and extortion" (Mackenney 1993: 133). The Roman Church was also known for its excessive wealth during this period. "In 1502, the Catholic ... , that the proceeds of the sale of these indulgences went to the building of St. Peter's in Rome. A gentleman by the name of Johann Tetzel, who has been described as a "medieval P.T. Barnum",...

• Word Count: 2755
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of traditional roles of male dominance/female subordination, this new religious enlightenment formed the backbone necessary to press for equal rights. This new philosophy flew in the face of traditional medieval Christian thought, where women were believed to be evil temptresses who lured men into sin. Rousseau, the French philosopher enhanced this stigmatization by suggesting that nature granted men superiority over ... women: "I would a thousand times rather have a homely girl, simply brought up, than a learned lady and a wit who would make a literary circle of my house and install he...

• Word Count: 2995
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate