Humanity has faced a series of challenges that have tested our beliefs and morals throughout history. In 1692, our humanity was significantly tested when the Great Salem Witch Hunt broke out against the Puritans of colonial America. Fear spread among the people and the drive to get rid of the evil was strong, causing the death of many innocent people. This type of event repeats itself over time. It is as if we humans were oppressed for a number of decades and then, once fear took root in our society, we acted harshly towards it, as if we released emotions of longing for personal freedom. Epidemics of mass hysteria occur because of social problems that have been ignored for too long, and it only takes a little misleading information to cause them. The mass hysteria that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts was inevitable. The Puritan lifestyle is very limited and severe. People were prohibited from taking part in many activities, and many acts are punishable in the name of God. Documents from the time, such as that of John Winthrop, an early settler, “City Upon a Hill,” show how the Puritans were “commanded. .. to love the Lord our God”, and going against the word of God was taken very seriously. Therefore, people lived in fear of being punished. When an innocent little girl claimed to be under the influence of the devil, widespread fear shook the entire village. Blame began to be placed on people and witch hunts soon began. The accused tended to be the minority of Puritans, and it was clear that people were using the hysteria for their own personal goals. The defendants were judged severely and punished quickly. Arthur Miller's play “The Crucible” was set in the events mentioned above and explained...... middle of newspaper......HUAC communists. Ultimately, fear drives people to take radical action and make sacrifices to feel safe again, no matter whether it's 1692 or the 20th century. Metaphorically, mass hysteria can be described as a flame. Social issues are the tinder because that is where the problem takes root, and the oppression of people is the fire that will provide a framework for the problem. Fear is the initial spark of the flame, and combined with political and economic issues, the flame grows larger. This flame indicates the burning passion of people within a mass hysteria to destroy, or in particular, eliminate those they fear, in order to secure order again. This is why events like the Great Salem Witch Hunt are tests of humanity's beliefs and morals. It is essentially up to us to stop the spread of the flame and control the outbreak of mass hysteria.