2. Guilty until proven innocent? By:

4. The Salem Witch Trials Causes Unexplainable events lead people to feel God is punishing them. People begin using the witch trials as a scapegoat for vengeance. Effects People begin to think of witchcraft as a reason for God’s wrath Many people are tried in the courts due to the vengeful accusations.

5. Steps Of Prevention (Salem Witch Trials) The people of Salem should not have been so hasty as to the reasons to small pox and other things that created the town’s anxiety The people of Salem should not have been so hasty as to the reasons to small pox and other things that created the town’s anxiety Left more room for people to prove innocence and not let it get to a point where accusations were vengeful and not gestures safety and concern Left more room for people to prove innocence and not let it get to a point where accusations were vengeful and not gestures safety and concern

7. McCarthyism Causes During WWII people began to fear Communist expansion. During WWII people began to fear Communist expansion. Effects Gave McCarthy the ability to feed off of peoples fears.

8. Steps Of Prevention (McCarthyism) Control the strength and ideas of politicians during a time of war. Control the strength and ideas of politicians during a time of war. Control the state of alarm within the country and control public panic. Control the state of alarm within the country and control public panic. Stick to original rights, established in The Constitution, of citizens no matter what the circumstances (ex. If you are at war with a country, don’t discriminate people of that descent). Stick to original rights, established in The Constitution, of citizens no matter what the circumstances (ex. If you are at war with a country, don’t discriminate people of that descent).

10. Related Accusations And Events 1)The Holocaust Causes Adolph Hitler attacks Jewish peoples and other Non-Aryan peoples. A fire is set that elects Hitler into power with emergency powers. Effects Aryan peoples began to feel superiority over other races. Nazis gain power in the German govern- ment

11. Steps Of Prevention (The Holocaust) Maintained a state of Governmental awareness in the country. Maintained a state of Governmental awareness in the country. Take more than one candidate for election of emergency powers. Take more than one candidate for election of emergency powers.

15. Related Accusations And Events 2) Iraqi War Causes 9/11 causes American panic. 9/11 causes American panic. Iraq is said to have “Weapons of Mass Destruction.” Iraq is said to have “Weapons of Mass Destruction.” Effects America goes to Afghanistan in response to terrorist attack. War begins in Iraq when no weapons are proved to exist. America still in Iraq.

16. Steps Of Prevention (The Iraqi War) Have hard proof of your accusations before you act on them. Have hard proof of your accusations before you act on them. Do not act against a country under pressure due to, for example, a terrorist attack. Do not act against a country under pressure due to, for example, a terrorist attack.

17. Editorial Throughout history people have been persecuted and accused of committing crimes without necessarily being guilty. For Example, In the Salem witch trials innocent people were accused of witchcraft, during the period of McCarthyism people were accused of being communists, and during World War II people of the Jewish religion and others were oppressed and tormented by Hitler and many Germans. Also, The U.S. declared war on Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction. The result of all these events ended with the persecution of many people. Though many of them might have been innocent, because of religious morals, laws and the form of government in each of these places, not much could have been done to save them and protect them from such harm, but something could have been done nonetheless. Throughout history people have been persecuted and accused of committing crimes without necessarily being guilty. For Example, In the Salem witch trials innocent people were accused of witchcraft, during the period of McCarthyism people were accused of being communists, and during World War II people of the Jewish religion and others were oppressed and tormented by Hitler and many Germans. Also, The U.S. declared war on Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction. The result of all these events ended with the persecution of many people. Though many of them might have been innocent, because of religious morals, laws and the form of government in each of these places, not much could have been done to save them and protect them from such harm, but something could have been done nonetheless.

18. Editorial (Continued) The Salem witch trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts. During the late 1600’s the Puritan religion was dominant. Puritanism established a government based on strict religious morals. People were expected to attend church regularly and had to follow a certain lifestyle. Puritans believed that all sins from sleeping in a church to stealing food should be punished and that God would punish such sinful behavior. Witchcraft was one of the greatest crimes a person could commit, punishable by death. Certain factors such as conflict between Salem town and Salem village, surviving the small pox epidemic, and having fear of being attacked by Native Americans caused chaos, confusion and fear amongst the Salem people. The suspicions of witchcraft began when the Reverends daughter became very ill. Because there was no cure for her sickness people began to say that she was possessed. A group of girls then began to act in a bizarre behavior and blamed others for their actions. As time proceeded things in Salem became nonsensical and more people were accused of doing witchcraft and having associations with the devil. People who were blamed were known to be “social outcasts” and it made it easier to accuse them without strict evidence. These people were taken to trial and if they did not confess they were hung in front of the towns’ people.

19. Editorial (Continued) McCarthyism was a time in history when the government resorted to extreme measures to suppress Americans who had different political ideas. McCarthy and his followers created fear and suspicion, conducting “witch hunts” and accusing people of being communists. Like the Salem witch trials many people were blacklisted without proper evidence. Due to communist expansion in places such as Russia, Americans feared the spread of communism on their own front lawns. This only feed McCarthy’s claims against people being accused of being a communist or a communist sympathizer. That’s the thing though; you didn’t have to be a communist to get targeted. It was all just simple relations and hollow accusations that gave fuel to McCarthyism. Other things that happened during WWII other than McCarthyism was the massacre of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. German peoples persecuted Jews for “blending” with those of “pure race.” To the Germans, pure race was the Aryan peoples. Anything that was not completely Aryan was not considered “pure”. The relation between the Salem Witch Trials and the Holocaust is the fact that both involve the death of people for stupid reasons

20. Editorial (Continued) There is also another current event that has to deal with the basis of false accusations; The Iraqi war. The U.S. claimed that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). But did what happen first effect how these false accusations seemed so true? Think back to September 11th (9/11), when America went straight to Afghanistan to fight against terrorism. For as long as we, the U.S. have been in Afghanistan, we have come up empty handed. Most Americans believed that Iraq had WMD because it was fighting against terrorism and the universal state of patriotism that was felt and shard by most Americans wanted to see something happen to the ones responsible. We attacked Iraq out of vengeance, just as people did during the Salem Witch Trials.

21. Editorial (Continued) The question still stands unanswered, however. How can we prevent this from happening ever again? One thing that is common between all is the way that people are treated guilty until proven innocent. Another way in which this could have been prevented would be in the way that each event opened a window for vengeance against one another. If the window wasn’t so open, then there could be less and less false accusations. Another thing is that every time, there is a state of anxiety among the peoples. This causes people to turn to the first answer that popped into their head to help explain the anxiety. People then will believe false accusations if it brings any kind of order to the table. The question still stands unanswered, however. How can we prevent this from happening ever again? One thing that is common between all is the way that people are treated guilty until proven innocent. Another way in which this could have been prevented would be in the way that each event opened a window for vengeance against one another. If the window wasn’t so open, then there could be less and less false accusations. Another thing is that every time, there is a state of anxiety among the peoples. This causes people to turn to the first answer that popped into their head to help explain the anxiety. People then will believe false accusations if it brings any kind of order to the table. In all, there are very few things that could have been done to prevent the Salem Witch Trials and other “witch-hunts.” One would be following the constitution of the United States, in which people are given their rights and are innocent until proven guilty. For the sum of all events, thousands of people died during these horrid events. Some died due to their race; others died standing for what they believe in. In all, there are very few things that could have been done to prevent the Salem Witch Trials and other “witch-hunts.” One would be following the constitution of the United States, in which people are given their rights and are innocent until proven guilty. For the sum of all events, thousands of people died during these horrid events. Some died due to their race; others died standing for what they believe in.