What influenced Arthur Miller to write "The Crucible" and explain how "The Crucible" relates to the 1950's House Un- American Activities hearings?

This was the McCarthy era where censorship was the name of the game. In fact, McCarthyism has become part of our vocabulary as it refers to the act of accusing people of disloyalty, subversion, or conspiracies without the need for evidence. This took place in the late forties and fifties in America at perhaps the height of the fear of communism.

The intellectual community was hit particularly hard. This should not be surprising, because those in power are always fearful of independent thinkers. Some of Arthur Miller's were charged as well as other prominent scholars. Hence, the Crucible explores the same dynamics as McCarthyism, but in a different context. Witch hunt then and now is the point.