Conspiracies of Conspiracies
How Delusions Have Overrun America
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4154837 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael L Kurtz (Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 107 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 443-444 |
| Publication date | 2020-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of American History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0021-8723 • E-ISSN: 1945-2314 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/jahist/jaaa208 |
| OpenAlex | W3088165291 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
In Conspiracies of Conspiracies, Thomas Milan Konda defines and traces the development of conspiracy theories in American history, from their origin during the latter half of the eighteenth century to the present. Critical to understanding Konda's thesis is his definition of the term conspiracy theory: A narrative centered on the idea that a malevolent group of people is conspiring to bring about some state of affairs to the detriment of the people in general. Their conspiracy lies behind a variety of events with which at least some of the conspirators have no apparent connection. (p. 11) Konda maintains that the first significant conspiracy theory in American history was the Illuminati, founded in Bavaria in 1776. Centered in New England, the Illuminati theory faltered primarily because of its adherents’ hostility to Thomas Jefferson and his political party. Early nineteenth-century religion contributed to the rise of two other conspiracy theories: anti-Freemasonry and anti-Papism. Even though George Washington and other Founding Fathers were Freemasons, their deaths, together with the secret nature of the society led to its downfall. The overwhelmingly Protestant nature of religion in the colonial and revolutionary periods resulted in anti-Catholic movements that flourished until the Civil War
Art · Literature · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Protestantism · Sociology · State (computer science · Variety (cybernetics · American Constitutional Law and Politics · History · Law · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Philosophy · Religious studies · Religious, Philosophical, and Educational Studies
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,33 |
| Citation span | 2020 - 2023 (4) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |