During a dark period of time in US history called McCarthyism, Arthur Miller was inspired to write The Crucible about the witch hunts that happened in Salem, Massachusetts. Miller was infuriated when called in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee by Senator Joseph McCarthy.  He reacted with the finest weapon in his possession -- his pen.  He meant to draw a comparison between the past and his present. Just like the accused in front of the HUAC, the accused witches in Salem were required to call out the names of others, and some of the main people accused were those in film and publishing.  Needless to say, this injustice provoked an enraged response. We'll talk about this more in class.

We'll also talk about the differences between Miller's fictional depiction of the witch trials and the real events of 1692.  Why? It's important to note the author's purpose for making the changes he made.  Why did he depict Tituba as an African slave when, in real life, she was an Indian?  We'll discuss this and other artistic changes he made. They are all quite interesting.

Below you will find some links and worksheets that we'll use in class. Browse around and see what's out there. We may do the worksheets in class, or we may not. Don't do anything in advance, just in case.