Crucible 1953, Arthur Miller

The Crucible Dramatization of the Salem Witch Trials Allegorical Took place in Salem, Massachusetts during 1692 Allegorical Joe McCarthy Senator from Wisconsin Was noted for making claims that there were large numbers of Communists and Soviet spies inside the U.S. federal government Ultimately, his inability to substantiate his claims led him to be censured by the U.S. government McCarthyism “[P]ractice of making accusations of disloyalty or treason without proper regard for evidence” Suspicions given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence Many people suffered loss of employment/destruction of careers – sometimes even imprisonment

Salem Witch Trials Series of hearing and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft Many people tried to prove that demons were “alive” Believed all misfortunes were attributed to the work of the devil Once of the most notorious cases of “mass hysteria”