The General Crisis of the 17th Century in Regional Context

The concept of a 'General Crisis' represents a widespread belief among
historians that the seventeenth century witnessed a crisis in interpersonal
conflict, as part of demographic, environmental and economic crises.
Initially referring to Europe, the concept of a General Crisis in the
seventeenth century has now been extended to societies across the globe.
Instead of focusing on global societal, economic or political tensions, this
thesis examines the General Crisis in regional context. Regions were the
cultural units in which economic and political tensions played out. This
study evaluates the evidence for a General Crisis in North-East England,
particularly the Palatinate of Durham. My research will test the ways in
which one specific regional society experienced and resolved crises on the
ground. Only at a regional level can historians grasp the balance between
systemic issues such as climate change, food supply and demography,
versus the agency of individuals in periods of crisis.
In focusing on inter-personal relations, this study applies concepts from the
social sciences, including sociological theories relating to risk, vulnerability
and trust, in order to evaluate the ways in which the General Crisis played
out in regional context.
The resilience of communities within seventeenth-century Durham and the
reasons for variations in levels of vulnerability to disaster will be
considered, testing the concept of a General Crisis for lived experiences in
regional context. This will be achieved through the use of diverse historical
records in Durham University Archives, Durham County Record Office, and
Tyne and Wear Archives.