Conspiracy theories

Narratives based on conspiratorial and paranoid thinking have become increasingly prominent throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. These stories range from sinister tales of malevolent reptilian beings infiltrating our government to fears that the forces of the New World Order rounding up patriotic Americans and putting them into internment camps. These concerns possess a long history in the United States and, often, have been bolstered by revelations of real conspiracies and cover-ups by private and public entities. From the prosaic to the outlandish, conspiracy narratives involve aliens and Nazis, underground bases and mind control technology. Conspiracy theories and the narratives constructed by those who believe them present a unique window into the history of the United States, highlighting fears both founded and unfounded.