The Red Scare/Salem witch Trials

             From 1945 to around 1952, America endured the Red
             Scare. The Red Scare, the hunt for Communists, was epitomized in
             the McCarthy trials when many innocent citizens were labeled as
             Communists. In many ways, it resembled the notorious Salem
             Witch Hunt of the 1690's. Both involved fear, prejudice, and a lack
             The Salem witch hunt was centered in Salem,
             Massachusetts during the 1690's. The thing most important about
             this is the time--1690. In 1563, a little more than a century before
             the witch hunts of the1690's, Queen Elizabeth legalized the killing
             of witches. She made a law stating that the first offense was
             punishable by pillory (public ridicule) but the second offense was
             punishable by death. James I wasn't so lenient. He decided that on
             the first offense, a witch must die.
             At this time in America, the New England colonies were
             recovering from a serious Native American uprising lead by the
             Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoags had come close to
             eliminating the colonies in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode
             Island until they were defeated in 1675. In the 1690s, the wartime
             atrocities were vivid memories. Witchcraft and demon-worship
             were central to the religion of several Native American tribes, and
             had become a threat to the moral existance of the settlers. This was
             a time when people believed magic worked and witches could kill
             with spells. The settlers felt they were under attack again. All that
             was needed was a spark, and the fire would be uncontainable.
             The spark was Abigail, a Protestant girl around 17 years
             old, who had an affair with John Proctor, an extremely attractive,
             desirable man. She wanted his wife out of the way. She and her
             friends were bored with their Protestant life. They thought it
             needed a little spice. So they decided to go dancing naked in the
             woods at night with Ti...

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