THE CRUCIBLE
By Arthur Miller
OVERVIEW
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Alien Registration Act
Communism
Communist Party
House of Un-American Activities Committee
Red Channel
Blacklist
Joseph McCarthy
McCarthyism
Witch-Hunt
Downfall of Joe McCarthy
Arthur Miller/ The Crucible info.
What was going on in History
During 1940s and 50s?
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War in Korea
Communist Advances
Alien Registration Act
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Passed by Congress
in 1940, made it illegal
for anyone in the U.S.
to advocate of
overthrowing the
government
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Alien Residents over 14 years
old had to file personal status
and political beliefs
COMMUNISM:
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Anyone who
undermined the
government was
labeled a “Communist”
Anyone who
disagreed with the
governmental policies
or decisions was
considered to be
un-American…
Communist Party
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Main goal of the ARA
(Alien Registration Act)
was to undermine the
ACP (American
Communist Party)
Mainly Left Wing political
groups
 Democrats
House of Un-American Activities
Committee (HUAC)
Investigated people
suspected of unpatriotic behavior
 This was the best tool to discover those who
were attempting to overthrow the
government.
 Investigated Hollywood Motion Picture
Industry
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19 people accused of holding left wing views
“Hollywood Ten” refused to give accounts -as a
result served 6-12 months in prison
RED CHANNEL
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Published a list of 151
writers, directors, and
performers who they
claimed were
members of
subversive
organizations prior to
WW2, but had NOT
been blacklisted.
BLACKLISTED:
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All accused people
remained on the list until
they agreed to come
forward and testify they
had turned from their
“Communist ways.”
YOU HAD TO GIVE
NAMES, OTHERWISE
YOU REMAINED ON
THE BLACK LIST!
Senator Joseph McCarthy…
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The man behind it all
Joseph McCarthy: Who was he?
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Senator from Wisconsin
Feb 9th 1950: McCarthy made a list of 57 people
in the State Department whom he believed to
have Communist connections
These people were screened for more than
having communist connections. Such
interrogations included questions about their
personal life.
This backfired for McCarthy because he would be
asked questions about his alcoholism and sexual
past.
McCarthy on the RAMPAGE!!
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He spent the next two years as
part of a committee who
investigated government
departments and large groups of
people about their suspicious
political past
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The only way to “save your own skin”
was to name people who you thought
were/are part of communist
organizations (even if you lied).
WITCH HUNT: anti-communist
hysteria
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This witch-hunt known as anticommunist hysteria is what we
now refer to as McCarthyism or
the Red Hunt
Politicians were unwilling to
criticize McCarthy in Senate.
Anti-American books in libraries
 As as result, 30,000 books
associated with
Communism were removed
from the shelves.
McCarthyism continued...
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As a result, he married his secretary
Jeannie Kerr to stop the accusations.
McCarthy targeted the military for anticommunist connection/activities
He attempted to have The Secretary of
Army discredited
This made President Eisenhower mad
(Eisenhower then tried to put an end to
McCarthy’s activities)
McCarthy Under Attack!
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President
United States Army
Media
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“In this long, degrading travesty
of the democratic process,
McCarthy has shown himself to
be evil and unmatched in
malice” (Louisville Journal).
McCarthy’s Downfall
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Lost position as Chairman
of Government Committee
on Operations of the
Senate
No power: no media would
publish his stories
anymore.
End of McCarthyism (Late
1950s)
Died of liver disease, due
to alcoholism
ARTHUR MILLER
HISTORICAL FICTION
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FICTION BASED
UPON FACT
DISCLAIMER AT THE
BEGINNING OF
MOVIES
The Crucible is based
upon an historical
event: The Salem
Witch Trials
BACKGROUND
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Born 1915-2005
Grew up during the depression
Intrigued with the events of 1940s and 50s
Wrote a Screenplay Called “THE HOOK”
Submitted screenplay to Harry Cohn (who showed it to the
FBI)
He suggested to have the gangsters referred to as
“communist.”
Miller realized this behavior was crazy
WITCHCRAFT TRIALS
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They began in 1692
Miller read about the trials in college
Read book published in 1867 published by Charles W. Upham who wrote
personal accounts of the persecuted in Salem
Miller visited Salem in 1952
Read actual reports issued by Rev. Parris
Story of infidelity interested him because he was having troubles in his own
marriage
John Proctor became his inspiration because he felt he spoke TRUTH
Idea for the play
Caused problems because people became suspicious between the Red
Hunt and the Witch Hunt
LINK
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ARTHUR MILLER SAW A
LINK BETWEEN
McCARTHYISM AND THE
WITCH TRIALS OF 1692
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Thoughts and intentions meant
more than actual fact (true for
both cases)
The more he read about the
Salem trials the more interested
he became
THE CRUCIBLE
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The language intrigued him
The Crucible took 1 year to write.
Opening night was on Jan. 22, 1953
Nobody liked it
1 year later it became a hit in Martinique
People liked the play because of the
themes:
 Relates to societal and personal
issues
 Hidden abuse situations
 Mass hysteria
Interesting Arthur Miller fact…
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He was married to
Marilyn Monroe for a
short time… 
YOUR QUIZ (next time…)
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Important dates
Short answer (pay attention to
names that are mentioned more
than once)
You must read the packet in
order to answer questions on
the quiz
Extra pts. for vocabulary!
Takes notes as you go…