Comparison of Salem Witch Trials in "The Crucible" by Author Miller to McCarthyism in the 1950s in America

Every one in a while, America erupts into mass hysteria because of the ranting of some crazy people. In the 1600's, we had the Salem witch trials, and as described in the book, "The Crucible", a group of girls falsely accuse their neighbors of witchcraft, and regular, innocent people are hung. Then, in the 1950's, a man named Joseph McCarthy sparked a craze of accusing people, mainly government officials, of being communist, thus scarring their …

…accused crimes. This shows that our nation has learned from past experiences that people are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nevertheless, in the public eye, a person accused of a crime is perceived at fault until he clears his name. Just as in The Crucible and in the 1950s, during a time of national fear, it is still possible that people will believe anything that finds a solution to immediate dangers.