The Crucible and McCarthyism

McCarthyism– Communist Witch Hunt

• Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, America was overwhelmed with concerns about the threat of communism growing in Eastern Europe and China. Capitalizing on those concerns, a young Senator named Joseph McCarthy made a public accusation that more than two hundred “card-carrying” communists had infiltrated the United States government. Eventually, his accusations were proven to be untrue, and he was censured by the Senate for unbecoming conduct. His zealous campaigning ushered in one of the most repressive times in 20th-century American politics.

• Known as McCarthyism, the paranoid hunt for infiltrators was notoriously difficult on writers and entertainers, many of whom were labeled communist sympathizers and were unable to continue working.

• The trials, which were well publicized, could often destroy a career with a single, unsubstantiated accusation. Among those well-known artists accused of communist sympathies was Arthur Miller.

• Senator Joseph McCarthy thought it was his duty to get rid of communists in Washington. His reasons for this were to retain his post and make people pay more attention to Communist dominance. His practice of accusing people of being communist became known as McCarthyism.

• The practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially of Pro-communist activities, in many instances was unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful or irrelevant evidence.

• Starting to sound familiar?

The Crucible-- McCarthyism

• One reason Arthur Miller wrote “The Crucible” was to criticize Joe McCarthy and all the foolishness that was going on. The book was written in 1953 at the height of McCarthyism. Miller himself was accused of having Communist beliefs in 1956, and was found guilty of contempt of court for not “naming names”.

See the parallel?

• The characters in “The Crucible” were made by Arthur Miller to represent figures from the McCarthy era. Miller made sure that people would be able to make the connection between The Witch Hunts of Salem and the communist “witch hunts” of the 1950s.

• Which character would Joe McCarthy be?

• Joseph McCarthy = Abigail Williams. • In the play, Abigail accuses people left and right.• McCarthy accused people of all ranks and

statures. • Both thought they were doing everyone a great

service by getting rid of the evil in the world.• Well, what about Arthur Miller?

Well what about Arthur?

• Arthur Miller= John Proctor• John and Arthur were both accused for things

they didn’t do• Although the outcome of Proctor’s character

versus Miller is a little different…• Stay tuned!

What other connections can you make?

Does this still apply to us today?

Thomas Putnam

John Proctor

Abigail Williams