Witch Hunt Then And Now Research Paper
Witch-Hunts, Then and Now
Witch-Hunts, Then and Now is basically comparing how witch-hunts were handled in the year 1692, in comparison to the McCarthy era prosecutions of suspected communists. I chose this topic because I have always been interested in learning what exactly happened at the Salem witch-hunts. I have always only heard stories of the hangings and they left me curious to find out more. I also have never heard of McCarthyism and how it would relate to witch-hunts. However, after reading and doing research on the two topics I can now compare the similarities.
In the sixth century people believed in gods and goddess who were seen as the enforcers of morality, punishing wickedness and rewarding goodness. For these people who believed in the gods if for some reason they failed at something or if something bad happed to them they believed that there was some wickedness going on that caused the gods to allow these hardships to fall upon them. Therefore in these difficult times it became easy for people …show more content…
In witch hunting’s people were blamed for others misfortune. For instance Bridget Bishop was charged with different losses sustained by her neighbors of their pigs, poultry, and overturning their carts. She was accused in the death of William Stacy’s child, the death of Samuel Gray’s child, and the illness of Samuel Shattuck’s child. (Nelson 1997, p.81) During the McCarthyism era thousands of Americans were accused of being communists and were subjected to harsh investigations and questioning by the government. Many of these Americans were imprisoned, and loss of employment, even thought the suspicions of them being communists was inconclusive. Between witch hunts and McCarthyism it basically seems that whoever was wealthier or had more power had the ability to accuse or blame people that were less fortunate for their
Witch-Hunts, Then and Now is basically comparing how witch-hunts were handled in the year 1692, in comparison to the McCarthy era prosecutions of suspected communists. I chose this topic because I have always been interested in learning what exactly happened at the Salem witch-hunts. I have always only heard stories of the hangings and they left me curious to find out more. I also have never heard of McCarthyism and how it would relate to witch-hunts. However, after reading and doing research on the two topics I can now compare the similarities.
In the sixth century people believed in gods and goddess who were seen as the enforcers of morality, punishing wickedness and rewarding goodness. For these people who believed in the gods if for some reason they failed at something or if something bad happed to them they believed that there was some wickedness going on that caused the gods to allow these hardships to fall upon them. Therefore in these difficult times it became easy for people …show more content…
In witch hunting’s people were blamed for others misfortune. For instance Bridget Bishop was charged with different losses sustained by her neighbors of their pigs, poultry, and overturning their carts. She was accused in the death of William Stacy’s child, the death of Samuel Gray’s child, and the illness of Samuel Shattuck’s child. (Nelson 1997, p.81) During the McCarthyism era thousands of Americans were accused of being communists and were subjected to harsh investigations and questioning by the government. Many of these Americans were imprisoned, and loss of employment, even thought the suspicions of them being communists was inconclusive. Between witch hunts and McCarthyism it basically seems that whoever was wealthier or had more power had the ability to accuse or blame people that were less fortunate for their