Today, one would normally disregard a rumor of Communism or witchcraft among their coworkers and/or acquaintances, believing that it is just gossip, but in certain times in history, people’s lives were ruined by rumors such as those. In the 1950s and late 1600s Salem, MA, rumors of Communism and witchcraft would be believed and taken to extremes. The destructions of reputations or even lives in consequence of these trials were paralleled in the McCarthy Hearings and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Arthur Miller uses The Crucible as a comparison between the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism by showing how the accusers in both situations used their power to stir mass hysteria, harbored corrupt motives, and dictated unjust trials and punishments. Although logic should have taken precedence over the hysteria stirred by the leaders of both the McCarthy Trials and the Salem Witch Trials, this was not the case. The Crucible depicts the hysteria that reigned in both the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Hearings in that each showed how the leaders of the trials lied and accused innocents of crimes so feared that the trials and punishments escalated to a point where they were out of their control (Sowers). A court was ordered where the witnesses’ accusations served “evidence” against a suspect and used additional “evidence” that could not be disregarded, such as two witnesses saying that they saw the suspect saying or doing “suspicious” things (“Evidence”, “The”). The hysteria was advanced even more by how even the most level-headed beacon of rationality, John Proctor, was drawn into the maleficence (Hayes). Additional citizens were drawn into the witch hunts and condemnations as well, as it became sort of a seminary justice movement (“National”).
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As if the Salem Witch Trials did not seem absurd enough as a standalone, the McCarthy Hearings were dubbed “witch-hunts” in reference to the parallels between the mass fear and spread of accusations of the Salem Witch Trials, along with the use of circular logic in that in each scenario, one was considered guilty until they admitted that the accuser was correct in their condemnations (Sowers). Hundreds of thousands of Americans in the 1940s and 1950s believed Senator Joseph McCarthy’s accusations of Communism without any solid evidence, spiraling even deeper into the hysteria by accusing others and making the lives of the suspects difficult— for example, some would never be able to get a job again (“McCarthyism”). Even when citizens involved in the Salem Witch Trials or McCarthy Hearings began to see the reality of the situations and began to oppose them, such when Salem citizen Burroughs continued to try to prove his innocence by praying the Lord’s Prayer flawlessly before his execution at Gallows Hill (which witches were believed unable to do), the leaders of the events would do or say something to conform the people’s opinions to what the leaders wanted or would benefit from (“An Account”). It can be decided that the ringleaders of each situation did not have the “common good of the people” in mind while working to circulate rumors of witchcraft and Communism. Although the Puritans of Salem were supposed to live sinless lives, including being unselfish, some accused their neighbors to gain land from them; simply because they did not favor them; and a good number of the indicters were less financially fortunate than the accused, so that may have factored into the judgments; some may have accused others due to disagreements and conflict regarding the Salem pastor (“An Account”, Sowers). Accusers and leaders of both the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Hearings were popular and greatly respected in their communities, which may have played into the amount of control they had over the trials (Sowers). Senator McCarthy’s purpose for spreading the list of Communists in the U.S. was extremely likely to boost his campaigning (Sowers). The fact that very few individuals in the public eye were willing to speak out in opposition to McCarthy gave him even more control over the situation, especially since he would condemn anyone who stood against him, as well (“McCarthyism”). As could be expected, the perpetrators’ motives in each situation were corrupt, as were their means of keeping things moving as they so desired, and so the trials and consequences were just as
As if the Salem Witch Trials did not seem absurd enough as a standalone, the McCarthy Hearings were dubbed “witch-hunts” in reference to the parallels between the mass fear and spread of accusations of the Salem Witch Trials, along with the use of circular logic in that in each scenario, one was considered guilty until they admitted that the accuser was correct in their condemnations (Sowers). Hundreds of thousands of Americans in the 1940s and 1950s believed Senator Joseph McCarthy’s accusations of Communism without any solid evidence, spiraling even deeper into the hysteria by accusing others and making the lives of the suspects difficult— for example, some would never be able to get a job again (“McCarthyism”). Even when citizens involved in the Salem Witch Trials or McCarthy Hearings began to see the reality of the situations and began to oppose them, such when Salem citizen Burroughs continued to try to prove his innocence by praying the Lord’s Prayer flawlessly before his execution at Gallows Hill (which witches were believed unable to do), the leaders of the events would do or say something to conform the people’s opinions to what the leaders wanted or would benefit from (“An Account”). It can be decided that the ringleaders of each situation did not have the “common good of the people” in mind while working to circulate rumors of witchcraft and Communism. Although the Puritans of Salem were supposed to live sinless lives, including being unselfish, some accused their neighbors to gain land from them; simply because they did not favor them; and a good number of the indicters were less financially fortunate than the accused, so that may have factored into the judgments; some may have accused others due to disagreements and conflict regarding the Salem pastor (“An Account”, Sowers). Accusers and leaders of both the Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy Hearings were popular and greatly respected in their communities, which may have played into the amount of control they had over the trials (Sowers). Senator McCarthy’s purpose for spreading the list of Communists in the U.S. was extremely likely to boost his campaigning (Sowers). The fact that very few individuals in the public eye were willing to speak out in opposition to McCarthy gave him even more control over the situation, especially since he would condemn anyone who stood against him, as well (“McCarthyism”). As could be expected, the perpetrators’ motives in each situation were corrupt, as were their means of keeping things moving as they so desired, and so the trials and consequences were just as