Relationship Between The Salem Witch Trials And The Red Scare

The Salem witch trials managed to kill many innocent people. These “mobs” or groups of people would convince each other that the person or people that were on trials were guilty. This is comparable to times in the 1950s when Joseph McCarthy had accused certain politicians and people serving the government at that time of practicing communism. These accusations led to many of them losing their jobs and society status.

Lauren McGilvray February 15, 2023 Prompt 1: The Salem Witch Trials of 1962 and the New York Slave Conspiracy of 1741 are two events that seem to have unraveled in similar ways. Each event created paranoia and distrust in the surrounding community and made nearby townspeople question their safety. These two events were impacted by various factors that led to a questionable way of dealing with each situation. Beginning the year of 1962, a hysteria began in the Salem Village of the Massachusetts Bay Colony over the possibility of witches inflicting harm on the community. In order to understand the causes of this event, it is important to mention factors that may have contributed.

Then in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692 Caused by the idea that witches existed Witches were thought to be "taking over the town and destroying souls" Townspeople feared standing up against witchcraft and refused to go into the forest because that's where they believed it happened. Accusations were created for revenge and many people were accused because their neighbors wanted their land. Abigail started accusations because she wanted John as her husband. She decided to seek revenge against Elizabeth. Then McCarthy suspected many people of being communists.

Both the Salem witch trials and the red scare of the 1950’s are significant events in American history, but how are they connected? An analysis of The Crucible and McCarthyism of the 1950’s shows similarities between being accused

In the Crucible during the wicked witch trials out of panic and fear of making confessions some of the people started accusing others. For example when one of the main characters Abigail gets pressured into saying all of these names of people who she saw did witchcraft. (Abigail: I want to open myself! I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil;I saw him;I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand.

When searching for historical lessons on mass paranoia and how it shapes a society, look no further than the Salem witch trials. The Salem witch trials, which took place in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693, led to the accusation of witchcraft among over 200 people and the execution of 20. The seed of paranoia was planted in Salem and no one was safe from the village’s extreme behavior. However, the seed of paranoia is not restricted to Salem, Massachusetts. Mass paranoia has been present in other times of United States history.

The worst quality in humanity is the instinct to find scapegoats—to cast blame on others for the occurrence of misfortunes. In 17th century Salem, residents lived in the constant fear of smallpox and war with the Native Americans. To subdue the fear, witch hunts were initiated, and more than a hundred people were accused of practicing witchery. After the Salem Witch Trials, people regarded the witch hunts as inane hysterias; however, 200 years later, Americans did not learn from the unjustified accusations cast in the witch trials. The Red Scare in the 1900s was the mirror image of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, and we made the same mistake and reacted unreasonably in response to fear.

In the case of the Salem Witch Trials, the fear largely came from religious beliefs and superstitions about witches and demonic possession. The community was overcome by a sense of terror, panic, and chaos. This led to widespread accusations of witchcraft withing a large portion of the community and the eventual trials and executions of many people. Similarly, during the Red Scare, the fear largely came from the political beliefs and concerns about the threat of communism and Soviet Russian ideas. The American public was taken over by a sense of anxiety and paranoia, leading to widespread accusations of communist ties and the eventual accusations and persecution of many

Many people were believed to be witches even though they denied it because of faulty claims against them. Ultimately, nineteen people were put to death because of allegations against them. "It means: do not be misled by the play's historical theme into forgetting the main point, which is that 'witch trials' are always with us, and especially today,"(The Liberal Conscience in the Crucible). The ugliness of human nature can be seen strongly in the Salem Witch Trials. It does not take much to wrongly accuse people of wrongdoings.

Witch-hunt has happened in America's history twice. The first time occurred in the 17th century, they named it the Salem witch trial. The Salem witch trial are the hearing of the people who have been accused of witchcraft, over 200 people were accused during this time. The red scare is a fear that is spread because of a potential rise of communism.

In 1953, playwright Arthur Miller took inspiration from the unfolding Red Scare- an era of inflated panic over the perceived threat of communist infiltration- to write his play titled “The Crucible”. Having lived through the frenzy surrounding the communist accusations, Miller understood the importance of conveying the dangers such hysteria poses to the maintenance of a functioning society. While Miller based the play on historic events, he never claimed complete accuracy, instead including a preface addressing the revisions he made and why. Miller’s intent was never to provide a strictly accurate depiction of the Salem witch trials; he wanted to provide a parable for McCarthyism, using the dramatization of events to warn Americans of the destructive potential of hysteria. Therefore, it can be discovered that while Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” accurately portrays fear and hysteria in terms of a fear of persecution, his depictions prove predominantly inaccurate, exaggerating mob mentality and neglecting to emphasize the true magnitude of a fear of the Devil.

According to an article on MTSU.edu titled the “Salem Witch Trials,” during the unfair trials, “Most defendants lacked benefit of counsel and were assumed guilty. . . 19 individuals who had refused to admit guilt were hanged and another was pressed to death.” In the Salem Witch Trials, many innocent people were accused of practicing witchcraft but were forced to admit that they were guilty if they wanted to survive. The trials were completely unfair, since they were only based on personal accusations instead of real evidence. Since many remained neutral and did not bother to stand up or protest, more and more victims lost their lives due to false accusations, proving Wiesel right.

During the Salem witch trials of 1692 and the Red Scare, innocent people were being falsely accused. As in the crucible and the Red Scare, people were being accused of witches/communist with little or no evidence at all. McCarthy had targeted certain people and groups claiming that they are part of the communist party. Miller had used this example in the crucible telling that the innocent and respected people in the community were claimed to be witches by another person. Abby had claimed that Mrs. Proctor had stabbed her in the stomach with a poppet, which was made by Mary Warren.

In The Crucible, Arthur Miller creates an indisputable connection between the Salem Witch Trials and the Red Scare, the fear and persecution of suspected communists in the USA between the 40s and 50s. The hysteria and paranoia that took America by storm during the Red Scare are effectively criticized through the use of characters and plot. Through the depiction of the Salem Witch Trials, Miller shows how patterns of investigation, accusation, and punishment are correspondent between the trials and the Red Scare. The common themes of fear, hysteria, and dangerous mob mentality are explored through the use of irony, symbolism, and characterization. Arthur Miller successfully creates an allegory of the Red Scare in The Crucible while showing

The McCarthy hearings and the Salem witch trials accurately represent the saying, "Desperate times call for desperate measures. " In the 1950s, the McCarthy hearings tainted lives by falsely accusing those in the film industry of being associated with Communism. In the 17th century, the Salem witch trials charged innocent villagers of practicing witchcraft. Victims from the McCarthy hearings were isolated and ruined, while victims from the Salem trials were hanged and shunned.