The Crucible: Colonial Period Of Early American History

Mackay Mitchell
Mrs. Santa Iglesia
AP English Period 2
April 17, 2016
Into Arthur Miller’s The Crucible Massachusetts had a very interesting past during the colonial period of early American History. It all started in 1620. Many groups settled in Massachusetts to escape religious persecution and practice religious freedom in America. Pilgrims from England, arriving on the Mayflower, settled in the Plymouth area of Massachusetts. Over the next several decades and into the seventeenth century, Puritans from England settled in Salem, Boston, and officially established the Massachusetts Bay colony. By 1640, there were over 40,000 immigrants that had arrived in the Massachusetts Bay colony (Brooks). The religious ideas of the Puritans
Pilgrims arrived to escape religious persecution in England (“Massachusetts”). The leader of the Puritan church was John Winthrop, who seized a majority of the power in Massachusetts during the colonial period. He believed that the individuals in the Massachusetts Bay colony needed to strictly follow their Puritan beliefs. Because of the large influence of the Puritan church, the early form of government in the Massachusetts colony was very religious. The political views in Massachusetts revolved around Theocracy, where God and religion was the center of politics. Many individuals believed that to be righteous to God, they had to follow the laws of the land. This included strict moral codes and respect. The General Court, established by members of the Puritan church, was the main political force in early colonial times. Two delegates from each town in the Massachusetts area formed the General Court. The Court had Legislative and Judicial power, and in 1641 formed a code of laws called the “Body of Liberties.” These laws governed everyday life in the colony (“A Brief History”). The ideas of the Puritan church, the Pilgrims, and the politics
In the midst of the Cold War between the United States of America and the Soviet Union, many Americans feared that Communism would sweep through the nation. The potential Communist threats and actions posed from members of the government and undercover spies in the United States was nationally known as the Red Scare. Feeling as though the country was in danger, President Truman issued Executive Order 9835 (the Loyalty Order) on March 21st, 1947 at the start of the Cold War. The Loyalty Order analyzed the loyalty of federal employees working for the government (“Red Scare”). Many individuals began to question the actions of several government officials. Among the accusers was Joseph R. McCarthy, who was a first-term Wisconsin senator. McCarthy devoted his time in the early 50s to identify and expose possible Communist members of the U.S. government. He brought fear to the American people during the beginnings of the Cold War. His strong intimidation affected politics and members involved in the United States government. In a speech in February of 1950, McCarthy was brought into national fame. He revealed a list of over 200 potential members of the Communist party who worked in the U.S. government. This caused several Senate investigations over the next several months. While in charge of the Committee on Government Operations in 1953, McCarthy’s investigations to expose possible Communist threats led to over 2,000 members of the