Red Scare: The Era Of Mass Hysteria

Imagine one day you were called by the government and accused of committing a crime you did not commit and the only way you could prove your innocent was to accuse your friends and family of committing the crime too or else you would go to jail or lose their jobs. Any normal person would be enraged by it and it may seem like that could never happen however this occurred in 1950s in united states known as McCarthyism or the red scare. McCarthyism is one of the most well-known event in the American history if not the the most well-known as it ruined many hard working peoples lives. This event started in 1950 however there were many tensions and the reasons that led up to this like the previous world war and countries trying to best each other.

America in the 1950’s was a time where neighbor was told to watch neighbor in fear of a spy from Soviet Russia. After the second World War, many had believed that the atheistic communists had infiltrated the United States government on a mission to shape its policies. Politicians became disgraced after accusations of being a Communist member or sympathizer. In his “Speech Delivered in Wheeling West Virginia, February 9, 1950”, Republican senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, exemplified McCarthyism and the Red Scare by presenting a list of more than two hundred State Department employees that had been a Communist. Going into the Cold War between the Soviet Union and The United States had been a heated time for politicians named a communist; a near equivalent to being called a witch in Salem, Virginia.

The U.S. entered the Korean Conflict in the 1950’s. U.S. and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Korea temporarily along the 38th parallel. This became the boundary between the Soviet-backed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. On June 25, 1950, war broke out on the 38th parallel. Known as the Korean War, the battle began when about 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel U.S., seeking to defend a non-communist government from invasion by communist troops.

The causes of the Red Scare was a major deal going on back in the day. Around that time World War 1 Americans was vulnerable and scared. They had many workers joining major unions. Polices was going on strike in September in 1919 even though they wanted to contribute fears. They led many immigrants from Russia to attend the United States Government.

A major political issue of the 1950’s could be the Second Red Scare. This scare was brought on by the tremendous power of the communist in the awakening of the Second World War. Many people in the U.S were in great scare that the allies of the Soviet Union were going to try and spread a big growth of communism all around. This was overthrowing both democratic and capitalist institutions because of its great power. With the Soviet Union pretty much taking over a lot, the U.S fears declared this as communist expansionism.

Hysteria throughout The Crucible, the Red Scare and 9-11 Throughout The Crucible, the Red Scare, as well as 9-11, one can see that these three have a lot in common. Whether it is the threat to the society, the wild rumors or the way that people were treated. These three events all relate even though they occurred at three very different moments of the time. In The Crucible, there are only perceived threat as one knows that the society thinks the devil is among them when really he is not. The threats are witchcrafting and the devil moving into the community.

The difference between the Red Scare in the 1940’s and the 1920’s, you had the Red Scare of 1940’s all about the characteristic of the affluent society when the people were in constant fear. Fear of nuclear bombs, nuclear weapons, fear of spies and politicians who were taking advantage of that fear. There was that constant fear of infiltration and espionage from the communists that made everyone always on the edge. You had working class people moving up to middle class, becoming all about materialistic things. Going up economically began to change the people in the society.

Witch Hunts in the Past and Present The Crucible, although set in the Puritan era, has a theme that can be seen throughout time: fear causes people to turn into monsters. Throughout the years of our existence, the human race has been capable of horrific act of self destruction, and fear is often the motive. From the infamous witch trials, the McCarthy trials and today's anti Muslim agenda, these events have all occurred or is currently occurring because of fear induced hysteria. Arthur Miller’s depiction of The Crucible warns not only of the terrors of Salem but the pattern of hysteretic “witch hunts” that occurred while Miller was alive and that is happening again today. Salem during the Puritan era was both highly religious and highly

Mass hysteria was present in both The Crucible and McCarthyism. Mass hysteria is when people went crazy because people were accused of being communists and or witches. Mass hysteria was however started by specific people in both scenarios. In Mccarthyism Joseph Mccarthy a United States Senator and in The Crucible Abigail Williams who was accused of having an affair with John Proctor her employer were the specific ones who accused people of being communists and witches. Even though the Salem witch trials happened in the late 1690s and McCarthyism in the 1950s they paralleled each other.

The Power of the Individual Throughout American history, famous authors often protest injustices in society and help protect the rights of the people. One such author is Arthur Miller who wrote The Crucible, a tragedy set during the Salem witch trials, to protest the unjust hunt for suspected communists in 1950’s America. This era, known as McCarthyism, emerged from a fear of the expanding communist empire, resulting in hundreds of allegations against suspected communists by The House Un-American Activities Committee. Similarly, The Crucible, set in 1692, depicts the sudden burst of hysteria and fear in Salem, Massachusetts after witches were believed to be cursing the town. Miller uses the real events of the Salem Witch Trials and a fictional

The red scare is a term used to describe the fear America had regarding the rise of communism. This included the Palmer raids which were serval attacks by the U.S. Department of Justice conducted to arrest, capture, and deport radicalisms (from the United States). The raids occurred with the management of A. Mitchell Palmer, but were prevented by officials at the U.S. Department of Labor, which had the power to rule and object Palmer's process. The Palmer raids were strikes that received attentions because of bombings in April and June

Due to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s sudden death April 12, 1945 that left many people in shock, Truman took over and served as president. Many people were doubtful of his leadership skills since they were never showcased during his short time serving as the vice president. Although many Americans were worried, Truman managed to prove himself as a good leader quickly due to overcoming the many problems he faced as soon as he entered office. The beginning of the Cold War took place during Truman’s transition to becoming the president.

By the end of World War II, many nations were devastated by the aftermath of the war, left vulnerable for the Soviet Union to conquer their lands. Truman recognized the potential threat these countries may face, and decided to create the Truman Doctrine. Former President Harry S. Truman developed the Truman Doctrine, that states the U.S. will provide economic and military assistance to any country threatened by an authoritarian force. This Doctrine was a response towards the Soviet invasion in Turkey and Greece. Following the Doctrine was the containment policy, preventing the spread of communism by containing the source where it originated from.