12-19-2014, 09:43 AM
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The first comprehensive history of conspiracies and conspiracy theories in the United States.
Conspiracy Theories in American History: 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.
Features
- Over
300 A–Z entries on various events, ideas, and persons, as well as
crucial supporting and refuting evidence, and competing explanations for
the origins, history, and popularity of this mode of political thought - Primary documents from organizations promoting conspiracy theories
- Contributions from over 100 international scholars with a full range of historical expertise
- Separate
section containing about 100 illustrative extracts covering the full
range of American history, each with a brief headnote placing it in
context
- The first comprehensive, scholarly reference on conspiracies and conspiracy theory in the United States
- Rigorous for the scholarly community yet accessible to the general reading public
- Focuses on the motives and political and social origins of the people arguing the conspiracy
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