Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes]

by Peter Knight (Editor)

Conspiracy Theories in American An Encyclopedia is the first comprehensive, research-based, scholarly study of the pervasiveness of our deeply ingrained culture of conspiracy. From the Puritan witch trials to the Masons, from the Red Scare to Watergate, Whitewater, and the War on Terror, this encyclopedia covers conspiracy theories across the breadth of U.S. history, examining the individuals, organizations, and ideas behind them. Its over 300 alphabetical entries cover both the documented records of actual conspiracies and the cultural and political significance of specific conspiracy speculations. Neither promoting nor dismissing any theory, the entries move beyond the usual biased rhetoric to provide a clear-sighted, dispassionate look at each conspiracy (real or imagined). Readers will come to understand the political and social contexts in which these theories arose, the mindsets and motivations of the people promoting them, the real impact of society's reactions to conspiracy fears, warranted or not, and the verdict (when verifiable) that history has passed on each case.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

976 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2003

About the author

Senior Lecturer In American Literature for the University of Manchester.

Knight has written multiple books about conspiracy theories in American culture.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encyclopedia about conspiracy theoris in American history. It mostly lists conspiracy theories that were actually somehow relevant, so it doesn't go too much into crackpot territory.

It was first published in 2003 and he has a 90s feel to it: long articles about the militia movement and klan leaders like Louis Beam.

Not all the source texts in the addendum are that interesting. Some just seem to imply "See! He's a crackpot" But some are pretty interesting.

BTW turns out ZOG did it.