Arthur Miller’s The Crucible (1953) uses the Salem witch trials as a comparison to McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare of 1947–54. During that period many Americans were investigated or questioned because they were suspected of communist activity, and some lost jobs or reputations on suspicion alone. Miller saw parallels with Salem: People made accusations, confessed under pressure, named others to protect themselves, and avoided people who had been blacklisted. He was comparing systems of accusation, pressure, and compliance rather than saying the events were historically identical.
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