“The Red Scare and McCarthy Trials” In 1950, Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible on the Salem Witch trials to show the similarity between what was happening currently in the United States and what had happened prior. The “witch-hunt” that was currently happening were people associated with Communism. The “Red Scare” was paranoia across the U.S. after World War I. Many innocent people were jailed for expressing views as Anti-American. In 1940, Congress passed the Alien Registration Act. This act required anyone not legally in the United States to state their occupation, personal status, and political beliefs. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated suspects and hunted down people accused of overthrowing or threatening the
