ipl-logo

Compare And Contrast Mccarthyism And The Salem Witch Trials

789 Words4 Pages

“The Salem witch trials occurred in Colonial Massachusetts between sixteen ninety two and sixteen ninety three.” (¼) During this time loads of people were accused of witchcraft over two hundred to be exact. A witch hunt is a search for persecution of a so called witch, and unfortunately during The Salem witch trials it was just one big witch hunt. The Salem witch trials began in January of sixteen ninety two, and I quote “when a group of young girls began to display bizarre behavior.” (⅓) The thing about this community is that it was strictly puritan, and you were not allowed to do anything for entertainment besides pray “if” you were a women, so when they were caught dancing around a fire and chanting they were put on trial for witchcraft. Three women were identified, but only one confessed to seeing the devil who appeared to her, …show more content…

McCarthyism is a political attitude as The Salem witch trials were just a hunt for witches. Both McCarthyism and and The Salem witch trials were big mass hysterias Mccarthy had accused three hundred and twenty people of being communists versus the two hundred that were accused of being witches during The Salem witch trials. They both had to deal with attitude in a way mostly, because everyone was terrified they were all trying to find someone guilty as the fear consumed them, they wanted to feel safe in their community safe from the Soviet union or safe from the devil, and they were not going to feel safe until all the ¨communists¨ or ¨witches¨ that are guilty were found. But in all reality these were innocent people in the McCarthyism era and during The Salem witch trials, the innocent didn't deserve to die during The Salem witch trials nineteen innocent people were hanged during The Salem witch trials simply because of other people's fear and falsely accusing them, because they didn't like the person or that other people longed for what they had. The Salem witch trials were quite the tragedy and many suffered from this

Show More
Related
336 Words | 2 Pages

“I have here a list of names…” is a quote that is not only spoken in history during the Salem Witch Trials, but also in fairly recent history. Joseph McCarthy used this phrase to present his list of believed communists to the government, while Abigail Williams used a similar accusation for the witches in Salem. Matter of fact, McCarthy’s accusations have been called by many “witch hunts” as an allusion to the Salem Witch hunts that occurred hundreds of years before. The Salem Witch Trials shares many similarities with McCarthyism, however, with the similarities come several obvious differences.

Read More
1500 Words | 6 Pages

McCarthyism relates to the actions of a Wisconsin senator named Joseph McCarthy, who used mass hysteria and fear of the Russians in order to further his own political career. As stated in the critical anthology by P. Barry an author of a Marxist text is “constantly formed by their social contexts in ways they

Read More
347 Words | 2 Pages

In the 1940 's and 1950 's, an anti-Communist movement swept the United States of America. Fueled by the anti-Communist actions of Congress, particularly a Senator from Wisconsin by the name of Joseph McCarthy, the movement escalated and many people lost their jobs as a result of various blacklists. Congressional hearings, both in front of HUAC and McCarthy Senate committee were a study in organized persecution. The actions taken during the "Red Scare" were eventually given the general name McCarthyism. McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.

Read More
1033 Words | 5 Pages

The people who had a strong belief of the devil and were very religious. The outside threats that were surrounding the people of Salem had created a fear and suspicion within the town. Then eventually the people in Salem realized their mistakes. McCarthyism arose in the 1950s. It originally intended to criticize the anti-communist views of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Read More
362 Words | 2 Pages

Many people know the stories of the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. These events took place in two completely different times, the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and McCarthyism in the early 1950’s. Due to the drastic time difference, different belief systems, and other differences, many wouldn’t even think to compare the two. In 1692 Salem, Massachusetts a group of young girls, led by Abigail Williams, began accusing the townspeople of witchcraft.

Read More
609 Words | 3 Pages

Though centuries apart, the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism are very similar. The Salem witch trials in the 1690s are described in great detail within The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller. Many innocent people are charged with witchcraft and killed if they did not confess. McCarthyism started in the 1950s when Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy started accusing people of being Communists. If people did not cooperate, they could go to jail or be put on a blacklist.

Read More
1039 Words | 5 Pages

Both holding a fear of a certain type of people being among them. Each having an ideal figure to follow that lead to chaos. The McCarthy trials were held around the time of 1947, in the Atomic Era. This was the time when Atomic Bombs were feared of being launched between America and Russia.

Read More
1711 Words | 7 Pages

What a Horrible World     In today 's day and age we have more technological, medicinal, societal, and worldly advancements than we did in either 1692 or 1947, but we are still just as easily corrupted by jealousy, power, and paranoia. The years 1692 and 1947 are perfect examples of prospering societies that became undermined through very similar processes. In 1629 the Salem Witch Trials and in 1947 the McCarthy Communist Trials- were both held unjustly, involving condemnation based on unfair trial practices. People desperately admitted to being a witch (1692) or to being a communist (1947) only because they didn’t want to die. Even if you were found innocent your life was virtually over because your career and livelihood had been destroyed

Read More
989 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
602 Words | 3 Pages

The 1600’s and 1950’s are two completely discrete generations, but they are more alike than people would think. The church is meant to heal, not to kill. The government is meant to provide for their people, not to turn them against one another. Both the Salem witch trials and McCarthyism were bizarre events that frightened people to the point of extreme panic. Arthur Miller believes that the witchcraft trials in 1692 and the effects of Communism in the 1950’s are greatly similar because they both contain the themes of hysteria, accusations, and penalties.

Read More
906 Words | 4 Pages

When people are placed under an intense feeling of fear, they begin to commit actions they never thought they were capable over. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, a young group of girls commit witchcraft which eventually leads to the arrest of over 100 women. This is similar to a time in the 1950s when Joseph McCarthy accuses government officials of communism and that ultimately leads to hundreds of citizens losing their jobs. The Crucible reveals the similarities between The Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s and McCarthyism of the 1950s because it demonstrates how a society can be tremendously impacted by the feeling the fear.

Read More
1205 Words | 5 Pages

Mental Illness in Salem Witch Trials Introduction Witchcraft is the practice of magic and the use of spells and the invocation of spirits. According to Salem Witch Trials, 2015, the Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts claimed to have been bewitched by several adults in the town. More than 150 people were accused and hung, including men, women, and children (Salem Witch Trials, 2015). There were three girls in particular that sparked the trials: Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, and Ann Putnam. Also stated in Salem Witch Trials, their behaviors changed drastically; they began to hallucinate, shout in church, have fits, not eat, not wake up, attempt to fly, and feel as if they

Read More
721 Words | 3 Pages

The Salem Witch Trials The belief of witchcraft can be traced back centuries to as early as the 1300’s. The Salem Witch Trials occurred during 1690’s in which many members of Puritan communities were accused and convicted of witchcraft. These “witch trials” were most famously noted in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Many believe this town to be the starting point for the mass hysteria which spread to many other areas of New England.

Read More
1729 Words | 7 Pages

The Salem Witch Trials occurred during a time where tensions were high and strong Puritanical beliefs ruled the way of thinking. Salem-Village was a relatively isolate area, being far enough away from any other town that they had to travel to the town of Salem a few miles away through the woods just to be able to go to church. This seclusion led to mass paranoia and a fear that they were in constant danger of the devil’s influence. The fears brought about by these circumstances caused a massive witch hunt incited by the accusations against several inhabitants, mainly by a small group of young girls claiming to have been tortured or bewitched by various villagers. By the end of trials, hundreds of people had been accused and twenty had been

Read More
1459 Words | 6 Pages

‘What was the effect of the McCarthy ‘witch trials’ on American Society?’ The McCarthy trials were implemented throughout America during the late 1940’s and early 1950’s to eradicate the threat of communism from within American society. The unconstitutional arrests compromising the first amendment, creation of paranoia and the suppression of creativity have led to debates among historians about whether people were safer or if the regime caused the splintering of society. “The practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially pro-Communist activity ... unsupported by proof or based on slight or irrelevant evidence” (Dictionary.com, 2017) has become known as McCarthyism. This became a forefront tactic lead by Senator McCarthy to remove

Read More

More about Compare And Contrast Mccarthyism And The Salem Witch Trials

Related Topics

Open Document