Mass Hysteria In 1692 Salem And America In The 1950s

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Mass Hysteria
Before understanding how mass hysteria erupted in both 1692 Salem and America in the 1950s, it is necessary to analyze the mindset of the people within these two time periods. Salem, at the time of their infamous witch trials, was in the midst of turmoil; they were temporarily without a stable government in effect, and their colony charter had been removed, with any attempts to acquire a new one proving to be futile. The members of the town were all strained by these unfortunate happenings, and the complicated relations between the various groups within their society only added to their troubles. However, in such a rigid society as theirs, the Puritans in Salem were unable to freely express their emotions or find outlets for their stress and anxiety. America in the 1950s, on the other hand, was drastically different from Puritan England. The country was enjoying a prosperous era, but with such good fortune also comes great doubt and concern. Although the GDP of America a little over doubled, the city upon a hill wasn't as undivided as it appeared. Senator Joseph McCarthy evoked a massive search for communists in America that closely resembled the fervid search for witches in Salem. Many basic rights that were guaranteed in the Constitution were …show more content…
Both the witch hunt and the search for communists are prime examples of mass hysteria at work, and closely resemble each other; similarly, both resolve themselves, and all but evaporate after relatively short
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