Final answer:
The witchcraft panic in Salem in 1692 was fueled by Puritan beliefs in the supernatural, mass hysteria, and unfounded accusations. Influential ministers like Cotton Mather supported the belief in witches, and hysteria peaked with claims of witchcraft extending into higher social ranks, which eventually led to skepticism and the end of the scare in 1693.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hysteria surrounding witchcraft in Salem in 1692 can be attributed to several factors. The Puritan belief system, which held that the devil was actively at work in the world, contributed heavily to the fear and suspicion in Massachusetts. Influential Puritan ministers like Cotton Mather espoused the belief in witches and the devil, hence any unusual events or non-conformity were often attributed to supernatural causes. Social and political tensions were high due to various factors, including recent wars with Native tribes and shifts in societal structures.
Mass hysteria escalated when a group of girls in Salem Village, including the daughter and niece of the minister Samuel Parris, began exhibiting odd behaviors and claimed to have been bewitched after experimenting with the occult. This led to unfounded accusations against many, with over one hundred cited and nineteen executed. The crisis peaked when the accusations reached up into the higher echelons of society, prompting the educated elite to push back and question the validity of the evidence, which relied heavily on spectral evidence. This intense period of witchcraft fear finally abated in 1693.
Among the factors that contributed to the panic were unfounded accusations, a significant aspect of the witch trials. The initial accusations led to more, with the young accusers claiming to see people engaged in all manner of witchcraft, such as riding broomsticks and transforming into animals. Consequently, anyone challenging these claims risked becoming a target of accusation themselves.