Yes. The atrocities in Salem were actually what convinced the magical government of America to support calls for international secrecy laws.
I'm afraid I can't agree that people are any more civilised than they were before.
I arrived here from the middle of the Blitz. From what I have heard, it wasn't the war to end all wars, no more than the last one was. People still kill each other for being different, no matter what the year.