Final answer:
Reason did not prevail in the Salem witch trials due to a mix of religious beliefs, societal pressures, and psychological factors.
The belief in the supernatural and the devil, as propagated by influential ministers, silenced rational voices. The hysteria finally abated when high-profile individuals were accused, prompting the educated elite to demand changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reason reason did not prevail during the Salem witch trials was due to a combination of societal, religious, and psychological factors.
Among these was the deep belief in the supernatural and the devil's work as evidenced by the Puritan's worldview, where phenomena like unexplained illnesses and adversities were often attributed to witchcraft. The Puritans' psychological need to blame societal problems on an external entity, such as witches, provided a simplistic explanation for complex issues of the time.
Moreover, the influence of prominent ministers like Cotton and Increase Mather, who propagated the belief in witches and the devil's work in society, amplified fears, and the hysteria. Non-conformity to Puritan norms, as demonstrated by the accused, was also seen as a threat and was harshly dealt with in the community.
As the hysteria grew, even rational voices were silenced due to fear of becoming targets themselves, leading to a cycle of accusation and punishment that was difficult to break.
When high-profile accusations began, including against the wife of Governor Phipps, the more educated elite in Boston started to oppose the use of spectral evidence and pressured for rationality, leading to the cessation of the witch trials. Ultimately, the affair also coincided with political and cultural shifts in Puritan society, indicating broader social changes that contributed to the end of the mass hysteria.