A lot of attention recently has been given to the use of the term “witch-hunt” in American politics. As you probably know, the term became common vernacular in America after the famous McCarthy trials of the 1950s, where Sen. Joseph McCarthy accused many government officials of being Communists. After hearing more detail about the Salem Witch Trials, why do you think this term resonates in the American political conscience?
The common narrative in American history is that the French and Indian War (Seven Years War) accelerated a growing divide between Britain and the American colonies. Through this telling, the American Revolution seems inevitable following the French and Indian War. Do you think the war between Great Britain and the American colonies was unavoidable? Was independence the only logical conclusion?