Mass Hysteria Research Paper

Mass Hysteria: The Origin of “Reds” and Witches Alike What is nearly 4,000 years old, one of humanity’s best weapons, and, as Joseph Babinski stated, “subject to suggestion and cured by persuasion?” The occurrence of mass hysteria may not be the most obvious answer, but it can take claim to driving many of mankind’s most dreadful feats by influencing the population’s thoughts and actions. The Red Scare of 1919 and The Salem Witch Trials would not have been nearly as successful if they had not utilized mass hysteria to use the public’s fear as a means of development. An analysis of mass hysteria is crucial to understanding its key roles in The Red Scare of 1919 and The Salem Witch Trials. Mass hysteria is best characterized as a psychological …show more content…
In November of 1919, approximately 10,000 suspected radicals were arrested with little proof to convict them. Few of the accused “Reds” had gotten a trial. Without the support of the public, these preventative actions were surely to be criticized. As the raids continued, no evidence of a rebellious plot was ever found, but Palmer released multiple statements claiming that a revolution was going to take place, hence attempting to justify the actions of the raids. These statements reinstated the anxiety that citizens had of a “Red” Rebellion by keeping it fresh in their minds and relevant to their everyday lives. The panic became so widespread that in 1920 five Socialists were removed from their elected positions in the New York Legislature and citizens of the US began to discriminate harshly against immigrants. The raids ended when Palmer’s promises of rebellion fell through, causing immense criticism to be placed upon the morality of the …show more content…
As soon as the local doctor deemed the cause to be witchcraft, several other young girls began to exhibit signs of being bewitched. At the time, Salem was a community that followed the Puritan belief system; witches were believed to be a very real and serious threat to the people of this era. The children were believed wholeheartedly when they named three unimportant female figures in the community as their attackers. Paranoia had spread amongst the villagers once the presence of witches in Salem had been confirmed. As time progressed, dozens of people were accused of being affiliated with the Devil or of being witches. The majority of evidence for the trials came from spectral evidence, which constituted of spiritual attacks that could only be identified by the accuser. The trials ended when the Governor’s wife was accused of witchcraft and the use of spectral evidence was banned from the courts, but not before besmirching the names of over two-hundred people and claiming the lives of

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