Mass Hysteria Research Paper

Words: 323
Pages: 2

Mass hysteria is when fear causes people to over react and lose the ability to think rationally. There are many hysterical examples of fear-based behavior, each example shows mass hysteria because of a domino effect and history repeats itself. Mass hysteria is shown in the Salem Witch Trials. Witchcraft is punishable by death back then. People would go around accusing people without proper evidence and those people would be put on trial. Everyone was afraid of being accused so they would go accusing other people to protect themselves from going to court. Some of the people executed in the trials were innocent people that were accused by people trying to protect themselves. In the 1950s there was a short time period called McCarthyism. McCarthyism