Salem Witch Trials In The 1950's

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"At the word witch, we imagine the horrible old crones from Macbeth. But the cruel trials witches suffered teach us the opposite. Many perished precisely because they were young and beautiful." (Andre Breton). In the 1950’s, America went through a time period of Communist Witch hunts, which is commonly known as the Red Scare or McCarthyism. The Communist Witch Hunt, which was a hunt for Communists, was embodied in the McCarthy trials, where many people were labeled as Communists. In many ways, it resembled the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690's. In a like manner, the development of the Communist Witch Hunts of the 1950’s and the Salem Witchcraft Trials had similarities as it began with an accusation, a target, and the manifestation of fear. The Salem Witchcraft Trial began when the Reverend Samuel Parris called a doctor to examine his …show more content…
First of all, during the Communism Witch Hunts, many people’s rights were infringed. One right that was compromised was Freedom of Speech. People were afraid to speak out and say how they feel. Another right that was compromised was Freedom of Association. People who associated themselves with groups like the Democratic Party, left-winged organizations, and the Communist party were usually being targeted in the government and tried for being Communist. Also, in the United States, people are innocent until proven guilty. However, McCarthy made it so that people were already guilty before being proven. People who were tried for communist, usually had no way of escaping. In the Salem Witch Trials, there was distrust in the community and women were treated unequally. Women were usually the ones blamed for being a witch, not the males. This is sign of sexism. Fundamental values of America were challegned, infringed, and compromised, during the Communism Witch Hunts and the Salem Witch

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