The salem witch trials were an example of mass hysteria because everyone was afraid of witchcraft so much that they were ready to indict anyone and pursue anyone. Similar to this was the communist hunt in the fifties and sixties where everyone was afraid that people were secretly working for the Soviets and they were prepared to indict anyone.
Many centuries later, mass hysteria reappeared in our country. Violent mobs targeted African Americans in Confederate states, just after the United States government had granted slaves their freedom. Much like the people of Salem during the witch trials of the 1600s, the people of the time accused African Americans of fabricated crimes without evidence, and then hung or burned them alive.
In twentieth century America more than 127,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were placed in internment camps. Some Americans became paranoid that Japanese Americans living on the West Coast were a security risk. They feared Japanese Americans would assist Japan in the event of a Japanese invasion of the West Coast. There was no evidence to suggest a plot of any sort, but fear won out when in 1942 President Roosevelt relocated all Americans of Japanese ancestry to concentration camps scattered throughout America.
