The molarities are that they each had a reason why they happened but for different reasons, they each falsely accused innocent people, and there was someone who gained from these events.
In the next few paragraphs I will go into more detail on their similarities and differences. The first similarity is that they happened for a particular reason. The witch- hunts were more based on religious intolerance and people wanting to move away from Puritan Rule, whereas McCarthy was based more on political choices. In Salem, they didn’t want to tolerate any new religions, that where to Protestant, nor move away from Puritan Rule.
And those that tolerated other religions and those who wanted to move away from Puritan Rule were said to be witches and put on trial and found guilty.
When they were found guilty they were hung. (Nelson 80-81) In the McCarthy era they didn’t want to tolerate anyone who believed in Communism and they believed that they were going to try and take over The united States. Those who they believed were Communists or sympathizers where imprisoned and sent to trial. And would usually not be able to face their accuser or be able to defend themselves. McCarthy Para. 6) This similarity can also be found in the Holocaust, which was based on religion as well because Hitler didn’t like the Jews so he started to kill the Jews.
The second similarity is that there were many innocent people being targeted. In Salem, Rev. John Higgins, the nephew of the Rev. Samuel Willard and two daughters, a daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren of the Rev.
Francis Dane, and many more were arrested because of their beliefs and religious tolerance of others. They were put on trial and sentenced to death. They were all said to be witches and hung.
Nelson 80) During that time in Salem they only followed the Puritan Rule and the only religion that they wanted was Protestant. They didn’t believe nor tolerate anything else.
The only songs that they were allowed to sing were hymns and the only school that was allowed was bible learning. (Salem witch trials Para. 15) They were very strict. “ Men and women in Salem believed that all the misfortunes were attributed to the work of the devil, when things like infant death, crop failures, or friction among the congregation occurred, the supernatural was blamed. ” Salem witch trials Para. ) In the McCarthy Era, the people who were accused of being communists, communist sympathizers and/or spies for the Soviet Union, ended up losing their jobs, their careers were destroyed and/or imprisoned.
Some of those people where, government employees, people in the entertainment industry, educators, and union activists. (McCarthy Para 2) They were accused because people where afraid of them. People where afraid of what they would do in our country. In both situations the ones accused were encouraged to confess and name others who where either witches or communists.
This similarity can be found in the aftermath Of nine – eleven. Because we were attacked by al Qaeda, many people wanted to blame all Muslims, however many of them where innocent.
The third similarity is that there were a few who profited from these two events. In the Salem witch-hunts the main one to profit was Cotton Matter. He supported the witch-hunts because he didn’t want to tolerate any new religions and for personal advancement. (Nelson 80 – 81) With his involvement in the trials he became well known.
He was able to keep a arsenal hold on Salem and let only the religion that he wanted to be there, which was the Protestant religion and Puritan Rule.
In the McCarthy era, Joseph McCarthy profited the most. He went from not being well known to being one of the most recognized Politician’s in The Lignite States. He became so popular that this second red scare was named after him. He pushed the most for the communist to be found and sent to trial.
In one Of his most popular speeches he stated that he had a list with over a hundred names on it of people who were believed to either be a communist or a sympathizer.
