Your task is to investigate the links between the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 and the trials conducted by the United States in the late 1940s-1950s in order to uncover communist threats against America.
After reading “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller, you will discuss with your class important themes in the story and figure out why Miller linked the Salem Witch Trials to the trials conducted by the “House Un-American Activities Committee” (HUAC) and the investigations of Sen. McCarthy in the 1950s.
Use the websites in the Resource section as you start to acquire knowledge about the Salem Witch and HUAC/McCarthy trials. You will be divided into groups to research either the Salem Witch Trials or the HCUA/McCarthy trials. Your group will create a group project and become experts on the trial you've been assigned. You will use the knowledge you’ve accumulated over the month to represent your trial in a class debate.