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Introduction
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World War II is over, and the new enemy is communism. Communist spies have infiltrated every level of the government. Senator Joseph McCarthy claims to have a list of 205 communists in the State Department alone. These spies, acting under direct orders from Moscow, leak vital government secrets to Russia. Hollywood and the entertainment industry are also overrun with communists. They write and produce films and plays that send out communist messages, corrupting the American public. The House Un-American Activities Committee has been formed and has dedicated itself to ridding America of the communist threat. |
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Does this description of America in the 1950's remind you of another time in American history? It reminded playwright Arthur Miller of the Salem Witchcraft Trials in 1693, and it inspired him to write The Crucible. He wanted to illustrate how dangerous it was to let the words and suspicions of a few people destroy the lives of so many.
In this WebQuest, you will be asked to consider the connections between The Crucible and McCarthyism. You will be asked to examine the characters from the play to see how they reflect the 1950's. Most importantly, you must think about whether the the fears of the American public during this time were justified.
