Final answer:
The Salem witch trials were deeply influenced by Puritan religious beliefs, with ministers such as Cotton Mather framing witchcraft as a manifestation of the Devil's work, leading to the persecution and execution of many, including 19 Salem residents.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Salem witch trials were profoundly influenced by the religious beliefs of the Puritans, who interpreted misfortunes and unusual occurrences as the Devil's work. They held a firm concept of preternatural influences and saw witchcraft as a serious threat. The series of hearings and prosecutions in 1692 Salem, resulting in the execution of 19 residents, highlights the impact of Puritanical belief in witchcraft and the Devil's influence, augmenting existing community frictions, natural disasters, and fear of native attacks.
Notably, Massachusetts Bay ministers like Cotton Mather and Increase Mather were deeply entrenched in this belief system, supporting the prosecutions initially but later voicing concern over the use of spectral evidence, as the trials began to target the higher echelons of society. Consequently, religious dogma was a central catalyst for the fear and paranoia that characterized this tragic episode in colonial American history.