FREE ESSAY ON WITCH-HUNTS: SALEM AND MCCARTHYISM

WITCH-HUNTS: SALEM AND MCCARTHYISM

Witch Hunts: Salem and McCarthyism
Imagine what it would be like to be labeled a Communist for the mere fact that you
happened to sport a goatee? It happened in the 1950's McCarthyism period! Doesn't this
sound strangely similar to the Salem witch-hunts? Perfectly normal people accused of
being witches just because they were seen dancing strangely in the woods. McCarthyism and
the Salem witch-hunts were both attempts by power-hungry people to diminish their
competition without any concrete evidence.
The causes of the Salem witchcraft trails and "McCarthyism" were irrational fears that
witchcraft and communism were going to infiltrate society if drastic measures were not
taken. Once the idea that witchcraft might really be going on got started, the behavior
of normal citizens was open to suspicion of witchcraft. Likewise, the real fear of a
Communist take-over had Americans in the 1950's so frightened, some actually believed
that there neighbors might be spies because McCarthy was planting this suspicion so
strongly into their minds. Once the hysteria began, it snowballed out of control.
In the Salem witch hunts two young girls, Betty Paris and Abigail Williams, were
exhibiting strange behavior and were diagnosed to have been touched by the hand of the
devil. When pressured to reveal the witch or witches who had caused this, the young girls
named several outcasts of society. These accused witches were guilty until they prove
their innocence. Many were tortured until they confessed they were in fact witches so
they did not have to endure any more pain. A few who admitted their guilt were spared,
while the rest were quickly executed. These confessions became the "proof" of the
existence of witches.
The hysteria of McCarthyism began when Senator Joseph McCarthy landed a series of highly
publicized investigations that intended to bring forward Communists in the State
Department and Hollywood. McCarthy eventually let his "Red Scare" get out of control and
said the U.S. Army was concealing foreign espionage activities. His accusations contained
little evidence and McCarthy eventually fell into disfavor.
The Witch-hunts of Salem resulted in the execution of 20 individuals. People accused of
witchcraft were considered guilty until proven innocent, and tests were devised to
identify the guilty. Those who passed the treacherous tests were considered witches and
put to death. Eventually, the madness ended but not before the slaying of twenty innocent
people. 
The McCarthy Communism scare turned very negitive toward Senator McCarthy when the
hearings to investigate whether the secretary of the Army was not cooperating to uncover
Communists in the U.S. military. These hearings were given a great amount of media
coverage and that did much to end the anti Communist "witch-hunt" led by McCarthy. A
resolution of censure against McCarthy was soon introduced in the Senate. On December 2,
1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy was condemned in a vote of a special session of the U.S.
Senate for his conduct in Senate committees. 
Bibliography
Works Cited 
Garraty, John A. "The Rise of McCarthyism." The Story of America. Cincinnati, OH:
Pantheon Books, 1990: 458-459.
"McCarthy, Joseph Raymond." Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 99. New York, NY: 
Publishing, Inc., 1999. CD-ROM
"The Salem Witch Trails 1692." 27 August 1997. (14 October 1999).