McCarthy Trials Similar to Salem Witch Trials.
There are many similarities between the McCarthy Trials and the Salem Witch Trials. The McCarthy Trials consisted of victims being accused for communist acts and many were arrested for suspicion of communism. In Hollywood many figures of the film industry were arrested because of the red scare. Many were also blacklisted and were not able to act in the film industry. In The Crucible, paranoia also led to suspicion of neighbors and friends for use of witchcraft and accused others for suspicion of witchcraft. Arthur Miller attended a meeting about how people saw communism and their perspective of communism. He was brought to court and confessed that he had been at a meeting about communism. He was asked if there were others who had attended, but he said that he does not remember. This was related to John Proctor when he was confessing for use of witchcraft and was also asked if he saw anyone else with the Devil. One of the most famous trials was about Ethel Rosenberg, Julius Rosenberg, and Alger Hiss. The trials relied on informers Whittaker Chambers, Klaus Fuchs, Harry Gold, and David Greengrass. Later it was revealed that the government had been using secret files to access Soviet communications to find out about Hiss, Harry Gold, Rosenberg's, Klaus Fuchs, and others were paid agents of the Soviet Union The Rosenberg's were being accused for conspiracy of espionage and were executed. Hiss was accused for perjury for sending papers to the Soviet Union and lying on oath and was sent to prison for ten years. This was like the girls who had danced in the forest in The Crucible because they faked that they had seen those who were accused make a contract with the Devil. Some of the victims lied to keep from being hung and many were arrested, imprisoned, and executed for denying for use of witchcraft. Joseph McCarthy was the judge about these accused and convicted victims.
