Background of The
Crucible
Puritanism
Salem Witch Trials
McCarthyism
Defining Puritans

The term “Puritan” began as an insult
from traditional Anglicans
– “separating” Puritans believed the Church of
England was corrupt & true Christians must
separate themselves from it
– “non-separating” believed in reform, but not
separation (most Massachusetts colonists)
Puritan Beliefs

Predestination
– God chose who would receive salvation
– Nothing you could do – not belief & not works

Vs. Belief
– Gift of God’s grace without works through
belief in Christ

Vs. Works based election
– You achieve salvation based on good works
So, why focus on behavior?

If they believed God had already chosen
the elect, why be so devout?
– They wanted to honor God through their
behavior
– They believed in sanctification (holy behavior
that supposedly resulted when an individual
had been saved)
– It also became a pride issue – like the
Pharisees in the Bible – just for others to see
Puritan Beliefs
Against law to not attend church
 Men & Women on opposite sides
 All sins should be punished (sleeping in
church, stealing food, etc.)
 Misfortune meant God was punishing and
would not help b/c it was God’s will
 Fear of witchcraft and magic was common
in Europe for centuries

Puritan Children

Same rules as adults
– Chores, repress differences, repress emotions
Disobedience strictly punished
 Rarely played – toys & games scarce b/t
Puritans saw as sinful distractions
 Boys could be apprentices & work outside
home
 Girls tended to home – sew, wash, clean

Puritan Children
Most children could read, but most homes
had only the Bible and other religious
books that described witchcraft in detail
 Books for children included warnings
against bad behavior and described
punishments for sinful acts

Economic & Social Divisions
Economic & Social Divisions
Salem Town vs. Salem Village
 Salem Town

– Wealthy merchants
– Prosperous port town

Salem Village
– Poor farmers
– Made living off of cultivating crops
Economic & Social Divisions
Salem Village tried to gain independence
from Salem Town
 Town depended on farmers in Village for
food & taxes
 Farmers in Village believed prosperity of
the town threatened Puritan values
 Village selected Rev. Parris – denounced
worldly ways of economic prosperity
 Parris supported witch trials

Causes for Hysteria Outbreak

Belief in tie between witchcraft & natural events
that matched “events” of the devil
– Smallpox, strife b/t Salem Town & Salem Village,
fighting with Indians




“symptoms” evident (most can be feigned)
Tituba’s influence – her Barbados spells & songs
Boredom of the girls
Feuds between people
– Within congregation over beliefs
– Property disputes
– Village vs. Town
McCarthyism
During the 1940s & 1950s, Americans were
concerned about communism spreading in
Europe & China.
 While Arthur Miller was writing The Crucible,
Senator Joseph McCarthy was trying to expose
Americans suspected of being communists—
most of whom had no direct connection to the
communist Party.
 Senator Joseph McCarthy made a public
accusation there were more than 200 cardcarrying communists in the US government.

McCarthyism
Paranoid hunt for infiltrators
 Difficult on writers & entertainers – many
had to stop working
 Some passports taken away
 Some jailed for refusing to give names
 Hundreds imprisoned, 10,000-12,000 lost
their jobs

Bibliography
Campbell, Donna M. "Puritanism in New England." Literary
Movements. July 14, 2008. September 26, 2008.
<http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/purdef.htm>.
Linder, Douglass. “Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692.” Famous
American Trials. March 2007. September 26, 2007.
<http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem
/salem.htm>.
“Salem Witch Trials: The World Behind the Hysteria.”
Discovery Education. 2008. September 26, 2008.
<http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventure
s/salemwitchtrials/>.
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
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