--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Salem [witch] trials…can be seen as…" description: "\"“The Salem [witch] trials…can be seen as an example of the propensity of the American people to be convulsed by spasms of self-righteous rage against e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/paul-johnson-4585_american-people_the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an_82157.jpg" --- # The Salem \[witch\] trials…can be seen as an example of the… ![“The Salem [witch] trials…can be seen as an example of the propensity of the American people to be convulsed by spasms of self-righteous rage against enemies, real or imaginary, of their society and way of living. Hence the parallels later drawn between Salem in 1692 and the “Red Scare” of 1919-20…” quote by Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/paul-johnson-4585_american-people_the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an_82157.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/paul-johnson-4585_american-people_the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an_82157.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/paul-johnson-4585_american-people_the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an_82157.jpg) > ““The Salem \[witch\] trials…can be seen as an example of the propensity of the American people to be convulsed by spasms of self-righteous rage against enemies, real or imaginary, of their society and way of living. Hence the parallels later drawn between Salem in 1692 and the “Red Scare” of 1919-20, Senator McCarthy’s hunt for Communists in the early 1950’s, the Watergate hysteria of 1973-74, and the Irangate hunt of the 1980s. What strikes the historian, however, is not just the intensity of the self-delusion in the summer of 1692, by no means unusual for the age, but the speed of the recovery from it in the autumn, and the anxiety of the local government and society to confess wrongdoing, to make reparation and search for the truth. That indeed is uncommon in any age. In the late 17th century it was perhaps more remarkable than the hysteria itself and a good augury for America’s future as a humane and truth-seeking commonwealth. The rule of law did indeed break down, but it was restored with promptness and penitence.”” [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Salem witch trials illustrate America's recurring tendency toward moral panic and scapegoating, but also a capacity for rapid self-correction and a commitment to truth and justice. **In simple terms:** Moral panic, self-correction, justice Key Takeaway Societies can quickly recover from hysteria when they confront errors. Themes Moral panic Historical cycles Legal restoration Collective memory Political scapegoating Self-reflection Mood Reflective Cautious Hopeful Type Historical observation Political commentary When to use this quote - Analyzing political witch hunts - Teaching about mass hysteria - Comparing past and present moral panics - Studying restorative justice processes Key Concepts Scapegoating Rule of law Historical analogy Public accountability Practical Applications - Historical analysis of societal reactions - Designing policies to prevent future hysteria Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms enable societies to recognize and rectify collective errors? - How can modern institutions learn from past rapid recoveries? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Local government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/local-government/) [Rule of law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-of-law/) [Way of living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-living/) [Witch trials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch-trials/) ## Related quotes > [“Something terrible happened in Salem in 1692 . . . but it isn't what you think!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-witten/something-terrible-happened-in-salem-in-1692-but-it-isn-t-what-you/) Suzy Witten > [“Wait till Buzz takes charge of us. A real Fascist dictatorship!" "Nonsense! Nonsense!" snorted Tasbrough. "That couldn't happen here in America, not possibly! We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/wait-till-buzz-takes-charge-of-us-a-real-fascist-dictatorship/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [Labor has been severely undermined, but that's happened before. In the 1920s, the labor movement was virtually crushed, in large part by Wilson's Red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/labor-has-been-severely-undermined-but-that-s-happened-before-in-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“A skeptic of all sentimentality, she has a witty, rueful voice that gives a deadpan appraisal of the past and present. We see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-charles/a-skeptic-of-all-sentimentality-she-has-a-witty-rueful-voice-that/) Ron Charles > [“Propaganda campaigns in general have been closely attuned to elite interests. The Red scare of 1919-20 have served well to abort the union-organizing drive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/propaganda-campaigns-in-general-have-been-closely-attuned-to-elite/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Remember our Red scares and our Catholic scares, when all well-informed people knew that the O.G.P.U. were hiding out in Oskaloosa, and the Republicans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/remember-our-red-scares-and-our-catholic-scares-when-all-well/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“On the labour front in 1919 there was an unprecedented number of strikes involving many millions of workers. One of the lager strikes was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-doctorow-2/on-the-labour-front-in-1919-there-was-an-unprecedented-number-of/) [E.L. Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-doctorow-2/) > [“I have never seen a contemporary history book that informs students that witch trials were also occurring across the world at that time with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/i-have-never-seen-a-contemporary-history-book-that-informs-students/) [David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/) > [“The most powerful men of the kingdom have dragged a duchess down and sent her out to be a marvel to the common people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/the-most-powerful-men-of-the-kingdom-have-dragged-a-duchess-down-and/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [Even the best of us have certain psychological mechanisms that can suddenly kick in and turn us into monsters. That to me is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/even-the-best-of-us-have-certain-psychological-mechanisms-that-can/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [I always say that no matter what the torture is, or the tool is, first of all it's nothing worse than what's been done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-always-say-that-no-matter-what-the-torture-is-or-the-tool-is-first/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [In his play depicting the Salem Witch Trials, the author illustrates profound psychological bullying. The ringleader of young girls suspected of unsavory conduct, frightens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/in-his-play-depicting-the-salem-witch-trials-the-author-illustrates/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [That to me is the basic message of events like the rise of Nazism, the Salem witch trials, and so on: not that bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/that-to-me-is-the-basic-message-of-events-like-the-rise-of-nazism-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“This mundus tenebrosus, this shaddowy world of Mankind, is sunk into Night; there is not a Field without its Spirits, nor a City without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ackroyd/this-mundus-tenebrosus-this-shaddowy-world-of-mankind-is-sunk-into/) [Peter Ackroyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ackroyd/) > [“Wounds that haven’t healed properly still hurt you. You pretend to allow them faze you, but I see past the mask. Shame, that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-ashby/wounds-that-haven-t-healed-properly-still-hurt-you-you-pretend-to/) [Millicent Ashby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-ashby/) ## More by Paul Johnson > [“Partly by accident, partly by instinct, partly by deliberate contrivance, he was the first intellectual systematically to exploit the guilt of the privileged. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/partly-by-accident-partly-by-instinct-partly-by-deliberate/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“Much of Sartre’s time in the 1960s was spent travelling in China and the Third World, a term invented by the geographer Alfred Sauvy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/much-of-sartre-s-time-in-the-1960s-was-spent-travelling-in-china-and/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [ “He \[Augustine\] admitted: 'I am the sort of man who writes because he has made progress, and who makes progress by writing.' ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/he-augustine-admitted-i-am-the-sort-of-man-who-writes-because-he-has/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [The most intimidating world leader was Lyndon Johnson, who became U.S. President when John Kennedy was assassinated. He exulted in this power and liked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-most-intimidating-world-leader-was-lyndon-johnson-who-became-u-s/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Democracy has many enemies, and the terrorist is only one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/democracy-has-many-enemies-and-the-terrorist-is-only-one-of-them/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“Marx wrote about finance and industry all his life but he only knew two people connected with financial and industrial processes. One was his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/marx-wrote-about-finance-and-industry-all-his-life-but-he-only-knew/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“When we are dealing with concepts like freedom and equality, it is essential to use words accurately and in good faith. So the eighth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/when-we-are-dealing-with-concepts-like-freedom-and-equality-it-is/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Margaret Thatcher had more impact on the world than any woman ruler since Catherine the Great of Russia. Not only did she turn around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/margaret-thatcher-had-more-impact-on-the-world-than-any-woman-ruler/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Wisdom lies not in possessing knowledge - which quickly becomes outdated - but in perpetually seeking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/wisdom-lies-not-in-possessing-knowledge-which-quickly-becomes/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [The planet Earth, though not threatened with destruction by man-made global warming, is by no means indestructible. There are many unpredictable events within our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-planet-earth-though-not-threatened-with-destruction-by-man-made/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“As Khrushchev put it, “He prodded the capitalist world with the tip of his bayonet.” He himself put it, “If I see a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/as-khrushchev-put-it-he-prodded-the-capitalist-world-with-the-tip-of/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [“We must never forget that the settlement of what is now the United States was only part of a larger enterprise. And this was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/we-must-never-forget-that-the-settlement-of-what-is-now-the-united/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [Where the quest for knowledge is relatively, and now almost absolutely, unrestrained, the public benefit will be great, especially where the certainty of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/where-the-quest-for-knowledge-is-relatively-and-now-almost-absolutely/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [If anti-Semitism is a variety of racism, it is a most peculiar variety, with many unique characteristics. In my view as a historian, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/if-anti-semitism-is-a-variety-of-racism-it-is-a-most-peculiar-variety/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) > [ The richness and variety, and indeed the advance, of our culture depend upon the continuation of this conflict \[between conservatives and radicals\], which is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-richness-and-variety-and-indeed-the-advance-of-our-culture-depend/) [Paul Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) [Explore all 109 Paul Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/) ## More American people quotes > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/) Victor Gold > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/probably-the-greatest-single-obstacle-to-the-progress-and-happiness/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/if-a-financial-institution-has-business-operations-in-the-united/) [Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [The American people demand results, not rhetoric, especially when it comes to national security issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-hayworth/the-american-people-demand-results-not-rhetoric-especially-when-it/) [J. D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) [Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The Salem [witch] trials…can be seen as an example of the propensity of the American people to be convulsed by spasms of self-righteous rage against enemies, real or imaginary, of their society and way of living. Hence the parallels later drawn between Salem in 1692 and the “Red Scare” of 1919-20, Senator McCarthy’s hunt for Communists in the early 1950’s, the Watergate hysteria of 1973-74, and the Irangate hunt of the 1980s. What strikes the historian, however, is not just the intensity of the self-delusion in the summer of 1692, by no means unusual for the age, but the speed of the recovery from it in the autumn, and the anxiety of the local government and society to confess wrongdoing, to make reparation and search for the truth. That indeed is uncommon in any age. In the late 17th century it was perhaps more remarkable than the hysteria itself and a good augury for America’s future as a humane and truth-seeking commonwealth. The rule of law did indeed break down, but it was restored with promptness and penitence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an-example-of-the-propensity-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an-example-of-the-propensity-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/paul-johnson-4585_american-people_the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an_82157.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/paul-johnson-4585_american-people_the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an_82157.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67d/paul-johnson-4585_american-people_the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an_82157.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Salem [witch] trials…can be seen as an example of the propensity of the American people to be convulsed…” — Paul Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The Salem [witch] trials…can be seen...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an-example-of-the-propensity-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-johnson/the-salem-witch-trials-can-be-seen-as-an-example-of-the-propensity-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```