r killed. In both cases, the paranoia caused many innocent lives to be ruined or lost. The House of the Un-American Activities Committee and Judge Danforth prosecuted and ruined many innocent lives. The paranoia that was present during the Red Scare caused the House of the Un-American Activities Committee to put hundreds of suspected communists on trial. Over 320 people were jailed or blacklisted due to the rulings of the House of the Un-American Committee. Many of those people were innocent, but the House of the American Committee refused to listen to whatever pleas they made in order to prove their innocence. This is the same for the numerous citizens that were put on trial during the seventeenth century witch hunts in Millers play. Many of the citizens Judge Danforth put on trial were prosecuted because they were suspected of practicing witchcraft. Many of which were innocent as well, like Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. Even though they were innocent they were found guilty. Judge Danforth also did not bother to change his rulings whenever the defendants showed good evidence of their innocence, like when Giles Corey and Francis Nurse brought a signed petition that stated that there their wives were not witches but were good people. Many lives in Salem were ruined as well due to these witch trials. Many were hanged or imprisoned due to the court rulings of Judge Danforth. Very little could be done to save ones life.The House of the Un-American Committee and the authority in Salem both encouraged their defendants to name names, identifying others sympathetic to their radical cause. The House of the Un-American Activities Committee offered to salvage the lives of people if they would name others whom they knew were guilty of practicing communism. The type of thing appears in The Crucible as well. If the people would confess who they knew practiced witchcraft they might receive a pardon. This is shown when Abigail na...
