Final answer:
The Salem witch trials in 1692 are evidence that American colonists believed in evil spirits and used judicial proceedings to eliminate perceived satanic influences. Twenty people were executed, with societal pressures and religious beliefs intensifying the accusations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The event that provides evidence that the American colonists believed in evil spirits, supernatural explanations, and used the judicial process to rid the colonies of so-called satanic influences is b. The Salem witch trials. This period of mass hysteria, which took place in 1692 in Salem Village, involved the execution of nineteen people and the imprisonment of many others on the charge of witchcraft. The trials were fueled by Puritanical beliefs in the supernatural and the Devil's influence on mortal affairs, as well as by social, political, and cultural stressors affecting the New England colonies.
Women were predominantly the targets of these accusations due to the perception that they were more susceptible to the Devil. The Salem witch trials were seen as a way to explain and control the chaos experienced in the colonies from numerous challenges including frontier wars and changes in governance. The eventual decline of the witchcraft scare coincided with a shift in societal perspective, particularly among the educated elite in Boston.