Red Scare VS. Salem Witch Trails
Adele Verrengia
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and The Red Scare of the 1950s had a lot of similarities but were also very different and had different consequences
During these times communities were under a lot of stress so they hosted formal hearings during which members of these communities accused others of violating social standards. When both things ended many people who were accusing others were looked at different because of the choices they made during these high pressure times. The Salem Witch Trials and Mcarthyism(Red Scare) have a lot of similarities. During The Salem Witch Trials everyone in the community of Salem started to accuse eachother of being a witch to save themselves. The people were told that once they were accused of being a witch if they told who else were witches and swore there life to God then they would be saved and be free. McCarthyism started with Joseph McCarthy wanting to win against a senator for a seat in the Senate. Therefore McCarthyism started over greed. With the Salem Witch Trials starting with greed over land disputes. Many people in Salem would target people for wanting their land. During The Red Scare Mcarthy started accusing famous people of being communists.(Just as the people of Salem accusing others of being witches) Mcarthy also made up most of the statements he said about the people who were supposedly communists. Thomas Putnam was said to have accused many people he had land disputes with. McCathy's speeches were said to be confusing becasue people never knew if he was lying or not.
McCarthyism
The practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as The Red Scare, lasting roughly from 1950 to 1956 and characterized by heightened fears of communist influence on American institutions.