The Salem Witches And Mccarthyism In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

The Salem witches and McCarthyism are two of the most shameful moments in modern U.S. history. A great play writer named Arthur Miller decided to make a statement about McCarthyism and Salem Witch Trials; he did this through an impactful play called the Crucible. McCarthyism, named after Joseph McCarthy, was a time where actors, writer, and poets had accusations of being Communist. If you were accused of being Communist, you were called before the court. If denied these accusations you were blacklisted. When you are blacklisted this meant for many that their promising careers would terminate. The Crucible is a story about a town accusing people of being witches if you were found to be a “witch” you were hang. After learning about McCarthyism, it is apparent that people had many ulterior motives for their actions, also conflicts and groups of people become apparent. McCarthyism shed light to my eyes that there was more to Salem. Many people had ulterior motives their motives profited themselves. During McCarthyism many people had a reason not to sacrifice their career, so they accused others of communists. They did this to protect themselves. “ The FBI had long since infiltrated the Party,

During McCarthyism there was a committee called (HUAC) House Un-American Activities Committee that was hunting for “infiltrators” card-carrying communist . They decided that if you were suggested of being a communist you would have to face trial. This committee had the power to blacklist you and destroy your career. “...three hundred and twenty artists were blacklisted, and for many of them this meant the end of exceptional and promising careers.”(McCarthyism 217) The court in the Crucible also had tremendous power, their power was life or death. If you were accused and found to be a witch according to the court you were hang. “Hang them over the town!”(Miller