Final answer:
Reverend John Hale began to doubt the accusations of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials when he noticed the lack of evidence and injustice. Increase Mather's criticism and the accusation of well-connected individuals led to the end of the trials and spectral evidence reliance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Puritan belief in the supernatural and the fear of witchcraft led to the infamous Salem witch trials, where accusations were often based on superstition, fear, and suspicion. During the witchcraft scare in Salem Village in 1692, the leading character who began to doubt the reality of the accusations was none other than the Reverend John Hale. Rev. Hale initially supported the witch hunt but later changed his position as he realized the injustice and the lack of real evidence against the accused. The situation escalated until prominent and well-connected individuals, including the wife of Governor Phipps, were accused, causing the educated elite of Boston to pressure for a halt to the trials. Criticism from influential figures like Increase Mather, who wrote that it was better for ten witches to go free than to wrongly condemn an innocent person, contributed to ending the witch hunts and the practice of relying on 'spectral evidence'.