What is the historical purpose of miller’s the crucible?

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible was based on two historical events that very similar despite the fact that they occurred on two different time periods.  Miller based his work on the witch hunts that happened in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. This came about when a group of young girls fell ill and developed symptoms such as seizures, fainting spells, many believed that this was the work of witches.  Word of this development led to panic as people began to suspect one another of being a witch.  This led to numerous trials where many were killed just because someone accused them of witchcraft.  During the McCarthy era, the government launched a similar crusade to root out communist sympathizers.  Many were jailed, executed as well as had their careers destroyed.  Both event were the same in the sense that many lives were ruined due to fear and suspicion.

The meaning of the word in this sentence is unneeded