Conspiracy Theories

For the general public, Guy Fawkes and his gunpowder plot, the ‘Man in the Iron Mask’ and the Devils of Loudun offer some of the most compelling images of the early modern period. The cloak and dagger world of plots and conspiracies can, however, appear to be dangerous terrain for historians, fearful of being associated with those obsessively pondering the fate of John F. Kennedy, or the fantasy world of the X-Files. Yet conspiracies, real or imagined, were an essential feature of early modern life, offering a seemingly rational and convincing explanation for patterns of political and social behaviour. This theme has been chosen as the subject of the second annual conference of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology of Birkbeck College, University of London, to be held on July 13th-14th, 2001.