McCarthyism and Salem Witch Hunt

The world tends to allow hysteria and chaos when a nation or community is unstable or venerable to beneath-the-surface problems. History vouches for this statement, for instance intense suspicion and uncertainties eroded during the Salem Witch-hunt Trials, and not long after came the years of McCarthyism. Although these two instances had dissimilar situations, they both allowed frenzy and disorder take over by fear.

First and foremost, Salem Town in Massachusetts had a period of infighting Puritan witch beliefs that many people made a pact with the devil. This all took place in 1692, and developed from internal disputes between neighbors. Some experts believe the accusers were motivated by jealousy or spite and their behavior was an act. Their community was based on farming so there was a large amount of tension due to land capacity of a neighbor and definitely envy. Betsy Paris and Abigail Williams were the instigators that deceived the community into thinking they were being harassed by spirits. This led to many convictions without reasonable evidence to prove her torment. In the end, many died and the accusers were not convicted despite their "pious" beliefs.

McCarthyism is during a time period of extreme anti-communism suspicions that lasted from 1940 to nearly the 1950's, also known as the "Second Red Scare". The term McCarthyism is derived from a man named Joseph McCarthy, who was radically loyal to the Republican name of the United States. The threat of communism became a concern due to the espionage by soviet agents and success of Chinese communism. They took their suspicions to another level, they convicted anyone important or who had any influence on government. They were subject to aggressive interrogation and questioning, yet unlike the witch trials none were convicted. The evidence was inconclusive or questionable, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated.

Inconclusively, theses situations attain common traits which are definitely apparent. Fear induced suspicion in both cases leading to impulsive accusations. The world starts to go into a hysteria following others beliefs. The government even stoops down to breaking the laws for the sake of what "could be" without hard evidence. Evidently, they ruined many lives without clearly examining the situation and trying to fix the problem rather than blame