Historical context of Salem and McCarthyism?

In both cases, a topic that brought fear to the people at the time (in Salem, the witches or Satan. In Post WW2 America, communism) was used to drive hysteria and persecute innocent people. In both cases, victims were forced to confess and name others who would also be persecuted. In Salem, many lives were lost and during McCarthyism, many lives were ruined.