The Crucible Background

The play begins with an account of the Puritans, the early American settlers. They were god-fearing and under pressure to familiarize themselves with the new territory they found themselves in. This pressure leads to hysteria, culminating in a profound and unfounded fear of witches. The fear in turn leads to trials and multiple accusations against innocent citizens, resulting in several hangings. Miller uses this as an allegory for America’s hostility toward communism in the 1950s.

The play is deeply rooted in this social and historical context. In the aftermath of the Second World War, America and Russia were designated as world powers, causing friction and tension between the two nations, which resulted in the Cold War. America began to fear that if communism were to spread to other nations, it would gain more popularity and mass appeal. America even feared that several Russians had already infiltrated the country, but there was little evidence to support this claim.

Nevertheless, the HUAC was founded by Senator McCarthy to identify and investigate communist activities in America. If people, especially writers and artists, were found guilty of favoring communism they were immediately blacklisted: they were not allowed to pursue their vocations anymore. This ruined several people’s reputations, careers, and lives: nobody dared to associate themselves with a blacklisted person.