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The red scare and comformity
The red scare and comformity
The red scare and comformity
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The red scare and comformity
The red scare and comformity
The red scare and comformity
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Salem Witch Trials and the McCarthy-era hearings had some events in common. In the Salem Witch Trials the town was on the hunts for witches. Nobody was safe from the accusations. This is similar to the McCarthy-era hearings. In both Situations, if one person did not like the other, they could accuse them of either witch craft or being an undercover communist.
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.
The Hunt Historic recurrence is the repetition of analogous events or circumstances in history. Many argue that historic recurrence is one of the most unacceptable and shameful concepts in our civilization because it is entirely preventable. We as a society are fully responsible and liable for it’s detrimental effects because we have the wherewithal to know better. In our very country, there are many accounts of history repeating itself. Two prominent and heavily associated models of such recurrence are the communist-hunt of the 1954 McCarthy hearings and the witch-hunt of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials.
Mccarthyism vs Salem Witch Trials “Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between communistic atheism and Christianity.” (Joseph McCarthy). McCarthyism is the practice of claiming without sufficient evidence that another person has committed treason ("McCarthyism" lines 1-2 ). During the Salem witch trials, the term Mccarthyism could be used accurately due to the fact that hundreds of people were imprisoned and accused of witchcraft with little to no evidence.
Miller was criticizing everyone’s irrational panic and paranoia surrounding the Red Scare and saying that the Red Scare was a modern day witch-hunt. Joseph McCarthy, a fame-hungry senator, became noteworthy after he alleged U.S. government had communist supporters in the administrations and he had a list exposing many secret communists. McCarthy worked with the HUAC to find and investigate possible moles and communists in the government. The idea of communists making important decisions and protecting our nation ignited fear into Americans. McCarthy intensified his allegations by actually naming names of people who were perceived to be too liberal.
The Cold War was happening and the “Red Scare” was running rampant throughout America. Joseph McCarthy would put people on a list in which he swore they were all communists. The numbers would vary because those who were accused would blame others in order to be set free and escape persecution. While in the Salem Witch Hunt, those who were accused would also blame or accuse others in an attempt to escape a death sentence.
McCarthyism is the term that came to be in 1950 when Joseph Mcarthy accused 205 people that were in the State department of being Communist. McCarthyism is falsely accusing someone of treason without proof or much reason. At the height of anti- communism Aruthur Miller wrote a play called “The Crucible”. The play was set in 1692 based on the Salem witch trials. Salem witch trials in his play was a time where everyone was falsely accusing someone else of being a witch just like McCarthyism is falsely accusing someone of treason.
McCarthyism McCarthyism is a terrible way of thinking, creates a negative environment, and is relatable to the Salem Witch Trials. To begin, McCarthyism is making assumptions without credible evidence. McCarthy demonstrates this when he gave a speech at the Ohio County Women’s Republican Club in Wheeling, West Virginia: “Waving a piece of paper in the air, he declared that he had a list of 205 known members of the Communist Party who were “working and shaping policy” in the State Department.” (History.com) Next, McCarthy created an environment that everyone was scared to have his or her own opinions in. Everyone just conformed to what McCarthy said: “President Truman vetoed the Act (McCarran Internal Security Act)-he said it “would make a mockery
Joseph McCarthy gained power because of people’s fear of communism (“Red Monday”). McCarthy claimed that 205 government officials were communists without supporting it with evidence which caused a panic (Fried 1). Frightened Americans asked for an explanation and instead McCarthy accused people, but he had the people’s support because he was against communists and that blinded people to the true facts (Fried 1). With the Smith Act and the House Un-American Activities Committee in place to ease the fear of communism, McCarthy’s unjust trials were able to be conducted (“Red Monday”). Rights were quickly being taken away to prevent the spread of communism, however, it was so that McCarthy could keep gaining power without anyone being able to say otherwise (“Red Monday”).
The Similarities Between McCarthyism and The Crucible Communism was a serious controversy in America in the early 1950s. Framing someone or being framed was a common way of survival for those who have been accused of a secret conspiracy. Interrogations were practiced among those who were opened minded. Intellectuals were targeted the most. Citizens who were victims of unfair accusations lost their jobs and economical earnings for not giving evidence to the House of American Activities Committee, also known as HUAC.
The Soviet Union was on the verge of a nuclear war, so McCarthy put fear in everyone because no one had any idea who was a communist and who was not. He made everyone afraid to trust people, even the friends other had. They were afraid that they would be accused
“McCarthyism” now refers to a period of intense anti-Communism during which people such as McCarthy went on a witch hunt to expose supposed Soviet spies in the U.S. Government, media, and more. This was a period of political oppression that has not seen its equal in America before or since. The Salem Witch Trials consisted
Today, in the world there are so many different types of societies that unite for numerous reasons. They can either be big or small, but no matter what, a society is a society that stays united. However, one of the many things that can destroy millions of a united group in a matter of seconds is the compelling emotion also known as, fear. People who are power hungry individuals, see fear as an easy and beneficial tactic to gain power. In both the Crucible by Arthur Miller and the Red Scare, it is clearly evident that fear does not unite but rather splits both of these societies.
Which became, known as “McCarthyism”. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy provoked the fear of The Red Scare in America by using and promoting the use of false accusations that drastically affected many lives. The “Red Scare”, first occurred after World War I. The complex alliances that were formed with developing countries were the reason many countries
“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.”