Witch Trials in Europe The Crucible by Arthur Miller was written in response to Miller being accused of being a communist. Arthur Miller writes about the Salem Witch Trials and the accusations of people being witches in the 1690s. While the Salem Witch Trials in early American Puritan society were harsh, they do not compare to the trials in Europe at about the same time. The witch trials in Europe actually started in the late 15th century, and back then, almost everyone believed in magic. “Tens of thousands of people were executed for witchcraft” (Lambert). Lambert states, “Belief in magic was almost universal in the past. Almost all cultures believed that you could use supernatural means to help hunting or to make your crops grow better
