Final answer:
The hysteria over witchcraft in early modern Europe was due to the Puritans' fear of Satanic influence, the Devil's role in inexplicable events, and was exacerbated by traumas from wars and economic hardships. It was sustained by influential ministers' writings and ended when the educated elite in Boston questioned the legal proceedings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hysteria surrounding witchcraft in early modern Europe, especially in Puritan New England, was largely due to a fear of the Devil's influence and a way to make sense of inexplicable events like sickness, death, and other catastrophes. During this time, Puritans believed that witches were aligned with the Devil and were responsible for such calamities. This belief persisted and resulted in tragic events such as the Salem Witch Trials, where nineteen people were executed, and several others died. The hysteria was fueled by ministers like Cotton Mather and Increase Mather, whose writings on the presence of the Devil in society reinforced the fear of witchcraft.
Many factors contributed to the long duration of this hysteria, including the trauma from Native wars, political and cultural shifts, and social tensions caused by economic hardships like the Little Ice Age and famines. It wasn't until well-connected individuals were accused and the educated elite in Boston began to challenge the validity of spectral evidence that the craze began to wane. This finally lead to Increase Mather concluding that it would be better to let ten witches go free than to condemn one innocent person, marking the end of the mass hysteria.