Final answer:
Witchcraft and witch-hunts during the age of enlightenment are linked to social conflict, religious fanaticism, and political instability. In Salem, Puritan beliefs and collective anxieties about unexplained phenomena fueled the notorious witch trials. The hysteria subsided when the educated elite and influential figures challenged the validity of spectral evidence and feared practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenomena of witchcraft and witch-hunts during the age of scientific enlightenment can be understood through the lens of social conflict, religious beliefs, and political organization. In the 17th century, notably in Salem Village, a series of witch trials occurred amidst a backdrop of political uncertainty, warfare, and social strife. Puritan society attributed unexplainable events, illnesses, and misfortunes to the workings of the devil, often resulting in witchcraft accusations against those who seemed threatening or deviated from societal norms.
Factors contributing to the witch-hunts included a collective anxiety fueled by poor weather, famine, and the Little Ice Age's harsh conditions, leading to scapegoating of those believed to wield supernatural harm. The social fabric was unraveling, and as the society struggled with less cohesion and more strife, witchcraft provided a convenient explanation for the inexplicable and a means to exert control over a chaotic reality.
As the hysteria grew, even well-connected individuals were not immune from accusation, reflecting the depth of the fear and paranoia. It was only when the educated elite, pressured by figures such as Increase Mather, began to question practices like the use of spectral evidence that the hysteria began to wane. In 1693, the witch-hunts ended, signaling a shift in the colony's ideological and political landscape. While some scholars, including Alma Gottlieb, have noted the relevance of witchcraft studies in understanding contemporary problems related to social conflict and religious belief, the Salem witch trials remain a complex intersection of fear, faith, and power in a rapidly changing world.