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Homework Help: Social Studies: U.S. History: McCarthyism and the Crucible
by Maria Craft
After reading a two-volume book, by the mayor of Salem during the trials, Miller felt the need to write about what occurred in Salem, Massachusetts. The details explaining what had happened enchanted Miller so he wrote The Crucible. The witch hunt in Salem was similar to the communist hunt in America, halfway through the twentieth century, during Miller’s time. Miller recognized the similarities of the two and the more you understand about the trials and McCarthyism the more you realize the connection.
During the 1950’s in America, the Soviet Union was rapidly growing spreading fear of communism. Americans were thought to be far from communists but McCarthy eventually made it seem otherwise. With the hysteria of the spreading of the Soviet Union many Americans were scared that communism would take over. This hysteria spread very similar to the witch hysteria in Salem.
Joe McCarthy was a US senator in the 1950’s. He ran a mudslinging campaign and sadly won the election by degrading Robert La Follette. He did not do very well pleasing voters in the first years of his term. He dealt with accusations that he lied about his war record. In fear that he might not be re-elected he began to point the finger at “communist” Democrats. They were not in fact communists but he used this lie as a way to scare citizens into voting Republican.
Much like what occurred in Salem, people were being accused of being communists and as a result their names were slandered. Edward Dymtrk was one of the first entertainers to be accused of being a communist. He did not at first admit or give names up and for this one could be placed on the black list. Once on there one would be banned from performing in Hollywood. To avoid this Dymtrk cooperated with the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and gave them names of former left wing activists.
It eventually turned out that most of the accused were not communists; many were just involved in sexual deviancy, alcohol and fascism. When looking back to McCarthy’s past if he would not have been the accuser he would likely have been the accused. Because of McCarthy’s actions political personal attacks are now known as McCarthyism.
Miller writing The Crucible was giving an illustration to what was occurring in the 1950’s. Miller’s play opened at the height of the McCarthyism period and showed the dangers of spreading false hysteria. Miller believed the 1950’s and the Salem trials were connected because they both were results of spreading hysteria in search of a scapegoat. They were so similar just hundreds of years apart.
Homework Help: Social Studies: U.S. History
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