The Salem Witch Trials and Modern Day Mass Hysteria

Honors English 11Research Project

Introduction• We will be reading Arthur Miller's play The Crucible about the mass

hysteria that occurred in Salem in 1692. As we will examine in class, Arthur Miller identified numerous causes for the Witch hunt, ranging from the suspicious nature of the Puritans to their desire for land and revenge. Whether or not there were actually people practicing Witchcraft in Salem is beside the point - the villagers depicted in the play clearly became hysterical and illogical when it came to whom was accused, and justice was not served in how "Witches" were tried and convicted.

• Unfortunately, the Salem Witch Trials were not an isolated instance of mass hysteria in the history of the United States. Arthur Miller was actually inspired to write The Crucible based on the events that were happening in the 1950s and the Red Scare enacted by Senator Joseph McCarthy in his hunt for Communists as 20th century "Witches." In addition, during WWII, mass hysteria happened when countless Japanese-Americans were imprisoned in internment camps as suspected traitors. Then most recently, after the events of 9/11, many Muslim and Middle Eastern Americans have experienced similarly unjust treatment in a climate that frequently became what could be characterized as hysterical.

• This research project will give you the opportunity to explore a specific example of mass hysteria in greater depth, while practicing good research practices to document your findings.

TASKInvestigate the events leading to the Salem Witch Trials and the mass hysteria event you chose. Determine the leading causes of the events. How did the population respond? How did the government respond? Analyze these responses and look at the role fear plays in motivating these responses. Make sure you provide us with background information of both events, as well as the aftermath.

ProcessThe following

assignments are meant to guide you

in the process of discovering the causes of both

incidents and the reasons behind the

any mass panic that ensued.

Task #1 After spending countless hours researching

the Salem Witch Trials and your chosen mass hysteria, compare the two events. Think about:

How was the public perception of these events similar?

How did the mass hysteria and panic make matters worse?

How and why have times of fear in America led to harmful results for individuals and society, and how might this apply to America today and in the future?

Task #1 Cont.How does your modern day mass-hysteria reflect

the same political, social and cultural ideals that caused the Salem Witch hunts?

What happens when fear-based thinking enters an individual’s decision-making process?

How might power struggles influence decisions that political or religious leaders make?

How might public opinion and media influence the behaviors individuals and groups engage in?

How might it be possible to correct such mistaken decisions?

Task #2

Background information about BOTH events

Why was everyone so scared during these times?

How do you think you would respond to a similar situation?

Requirements Minimum of 3 sources, each with

their own annotated entry ONE book required ALL questions answered Internal Documentation (give credit

where it is due!) Present your research in an

interesting and creative way Visual that represents the Salem

Witch Trials AND your mass hysteria topic

Graphic Organizer comparing the two events

Video Clip (is not included in your time)

“Quiz” at the end of your presentation

What Do I Need to Turn In For Full Credit?

Visual you have chosen for each event

Works Cited Page Printed Copy of your PowerPoint ( 3

slides per page) Graphic Organizer 2-3 page research paper Student Handout/Copy of Quiz with

answers Your final research….how will you

present your findings?? 5-7 minute presentation (you will be

timed)

Stuff to Ponder…

The Motivating Cause(s) How and why it “spreads” The Effects What is similar among these? What is different among these?

Who has questions?????????????

You better ask now!