HIS 232 Conspiratorial America -i
From the Salem Witch Trials to the ongoing obsession with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, American political culture has been frequently framed by conspiratorial, paranoid understandings of the operation of power. This course will examine conspiracies and conspiracy theories in American history to better understand the relationships between information and truth; between elites and commoners; and between liberty and power. Throughout the semester, students will read primary and secondary sources to learn about conspiracies in American history, both real and imagined. Through exposure to various American plots, students will learn to be critical readers and thinkers about the presentation of information.