Those accused often lost their property and good name in the town.
Judge Danforth believed in the authority of his court.
Witchcraft was an “invisible crime.”
Those accused were assumed guilty (Sarah Osborn, Elizabeth & John Proctor, Martha Corey, Rebeca Nurse, etc.)
To be found “innocent”, the defendant had to confess and then name names of others who were witches.
Witches were seen as criminals.
In Puritan society, the enemy was the devil and witches were feared because they threatened their pure and godly society
19 people were hanged, several died in jail, and one was pressed to death. Over 150 others spent time in prison.
Trials were marked by relentless questioning, presumption of guilt, acceptance of flimsy evidence, and stubborn insistence on the validity and power of the proceedings.
Irrational fear overrode reason.
Ministers were seen as the experts and were trusted to find and stop the practice of witchcraft.
Trials ended because more and more upstanding people in the village were accused and refused to confess.
People became afraid to speak out against the trials or challenge the authority of the court for fear of being labeled a witch.
People became afraid to speak out against the trials or even criticize the government for fear of being labeled a communist.
Trials were marked by relentless questioning, presumption of guilt, acceptance of flimsy evidence, and stubborn insistence on the validity and power of the proceedings.
The FBI and U.S. Secret Service were trusted to find Communist spies.
Communism was a political belief.
Those who practiced Communism were seen as treasonous
Those accused were often blacklisted (loss of job, influence, etc.; sometimes they even had to leave the country.)
Those accused were assumed guilty (actors, producers, screenwriters, etc., including Arthur Miller himself)
Irrational fear overrode reason.
To be found “innocent”, the defendant had to confess and then name names of others who were communists.
Communism was seen as an evil and dangerous force because it threatened the American way of life (democracy, capitalism, etc.).
Senator Joseph McCarthy believed in both his and the House of Un-American Activities Committee’s (HUAC) authority.
Trials ended in part because Senator Joseph McCarthy accused the Secretary of the Navy of sheltering Communist spies. McCarthy was censured by the Senate and his influence declined.
The Hollywood Ten spent time in jail; Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of spying for the Soviet Union (treason) and were executed; thousands of others were blacklisted.
