Lincoln stated Douglas's popular sovereignty theory was a threat to the nation's morality and that Douglas represented a conspiracy to extend slavery to free states.

* New World Order ( conspiracy theory )

A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.

The term " conspiracy theory " is used to indicate a narrative genre that includes a broad selection of ( not necessarily related ) arguments for the existence of grand conspiracies.

A proven conspiracy theory, such as the notion that Nixon and his aides were behind the Watergate break-in and cover-up, is usually referred to as something else, such as investigative journalism or historical analysis.

The political scientist Michael Barkun discussing the usage of this term in contemporary American culture holds that a conspiracy theory is a belief which explains an event as the result of a secret plot by exceptionally powerful and cunning conspirators to achieve a malevolent end.

Noam Chomsky, linguist and scholar, contrasts conspiracy theory as more or less the opposite of institutional analysis, which focuses mostly on the public, long-term behaviour of publicly known institutions, as recorded in, for example, scholarly documents or mainstream media reports, rather than secretive coalitions of individuals.

The Oxford English Dictionary records the first use of the phrase " conspiracy theory " to a 1909 article in The American Historical Review .< ref >" conspiracy ", Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition, 1989 ; online version March 2012.

It was at least more plausible that the conspiracy theory of Mr. Charles Beade, ..."

" But if conspiracies exist, they rarely move history ; they make a difference at the margins from time to time, but with the unforeseen consequences of a logic outside the control of their authors: and this is what is wrong with ' conspiracy theory.

Clare Birchall at the University of Kent describes conspiracy theory as a form of popular knowledge.

By giving it the title ' knowledge ', conspiracy theory is considered alongside more ' legitimate ' modes of knowing.

The relationship between legitimate and illegitimate knowledges, Birchall claims, is far closer than common dismissals of conspiracy theory would have us believe.

According to some psychologists, a person who believes in one conspiracy theory tends to believe in others ; a person who does not believe in one conspiracy theory tends not to believe another.

In a context where a conspiracy theory has become popular within a social group, communal reinforcement may equally play a part.

Recent empirical research has lent support to the theory that psychological projection plays a role in conspiracy belief.

For some individuals, an obsessive compulsion to believe, prove, or re-tell a conspiracy theory may indicate one or a combination of well-understood psychological conditions, and other hypothetical ones: paranoia, denial, schizophrenia, mean world syndrome.

Likewise, Roger Cohen, in an op-Ed for the New York Times propounded that, " captive minds ... resort to conspiracy theory because it is the ultimate refuge of the powerless.

Where responsible behavior is prevented by social conditions, or is simply beyond the ability of an individual, the conspiracy theory facilitates the emotional discharge or closure that such emotional challenges ( after Erving Goffman ) require.

Bruno Latour suggests that the widespread popularity of conspiracy theories in mass culture may be due, in part, to the pervasive presence of Marxist-inspired critical theory and similar ideas in academia since the 1970s.

Into the vacuum of that loss of belief falls explanation by conspiracy theory.

There can be little doubt that there was a conspiracy in Washington, overt or implied, to block anything Hearst wanted, even if it was something good.

Thus, a finding of conspiracy to restrain trade or attempt to monopolize was excluded from the Court's decision.

In other words, the promulgators of the murder plan made clear that physically exterminating the Jews was but an extension of the anti-Semitic measures already operating in every phase of German life, and that the new conspiracy counted on the general anti-Semitism that had made those measures effective, as a readiness for murder.

The charge that the federal indictment of three Chicago narcotics detail detectives `` is the product of rumor, combined with malice, and individual enmity '' on the part of the federal narcotics unit here was made yesterday in their conspiracy trial before Judge Joseph Sam Perry in federal District court.

Engaging in such a conspiracy was an act of mercy by the giants.

Lincoln denounced the decision, alleging it was the product of a conspiracy of Democrats to support the Slave Power Lincoln argued, " The authors of the Declaration of Independence never intended ' to say all were equal in color, size, intellect, moral developments, or social capacity ', but they ' did consider all men created equal — equal in certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness '.

On 15 March 44 BC, Octavius's adoptive father Julius Caesar was assassinated by a conspiracy led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus.

While the Byzantine troops were assembling for the expedition, Alexios was approached by the Doukas faction at court, who convinced him to join a conspiracy against Nikephoros III.

Furthermore, to aid the conspiracy Maria had adopted Alexios as her son, though she was only five years older than he Maria was persuaded to do so on the advice of her own " Alans " and her eunuchs, who had been instigated to do his by Isaac Komnenos.

A group of the aristocrats of his court, scandalised by Andrew's generosity towards his wife's relatives and followers, planned to offer the throne to his cousins, who had been living in the court of the Emperor Theodore I Lascaris of Nicaea, but their envoy was arrested and Andrew could overcome the conspiracy.

About this time ( 1153 ) a conspiracy against the Emperor, in which Andronikos participated, was discovered and he was thrown into prison.

11: 11 ); and when David fled from Jerusalem at the time of Absalom's conspiracy, the Ark was carried along with him until he ordered Zadok the priest to return it to Jerusalem ( 2 Sam.

When Abiathar was dismissed from the priesthood by King Solomon for having taken part in Adonijah's conspiracy against David, his life was spared because he had formerly borne the Ark ( 1 Kings 2: 26 ).

After seemingly destroying all his enemies and bringing peace to Rome he was assassinated by friends in a conspiracy organized by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus.

Thorpe was forced to resign due to his clandestine gay affairs, but was acquitted of conspiracy to murder.

The Nigerian newspaper The Guardian went further, declaring that the judgment was " a rape and unforeseen potential international conspiracy against Nigerian territorial integrity and sovereignty " and " part of a Western ploy to foment and perpetuate trouble in Africa ".

Popper argued that totalitarianism was founded on " conspiracy theories " which drew on imaginary plots driven by paranoid scenarios predicated on tribalism, chauvinism, or racism.

Popper even uses the term " conspiracy " to describe ordinary political activity in the classical Athens of Plato ( who was the principal target of his attack in The Open Society and Its Enemies ).

Eight men were tried together in U.S. District Court in Anniston, Ala., on charges of interfering with interstate transportation and conspiracy growing out of a white mob's attack on a Greyhound bus carrying the first of the Freedom Riders.

We first hear of him as king in the suppression of the conspiracy of Cinadon.

Psychologists believe that the search for meaning is common in conspiracism and the development of conspiracy theories, and may be powerful enough alone to lead to the first formulating of the idea.

In early 41 AD, Caligula became the first Roman emperor to be assassinated, the result of a conspiracy involving officers of the Praetorian Guard, as well as members of the Roman Senate and of the imperial court.

In 1572, de Vere's first cousin and closest relative, the Duke of Norfolk, was found guilty of a Catholic conspiracy against Elizabeth and was executed for treason.

In July 2008, a conspiracy charge was used to convict graffiti artists for the first time.

The first crisis of the reign came in 182, when Lucilla engineered a conspiracy against her brother.

The first is a dedication to Aurelius Heraclianus, the prefect involved in the conspiracy against Gallienus, from Traianus Mucianus, who also gave a dedication to Heraclianus ' brother, Aurelius Appollinaris, who was the equestiran governor of the province of Thracia in 267-8 AD.

In the Assassin's Creed series of historical action-adventure video games, the first game followed a fictional version of the Syrian wing of the sect, while subsequent games and Assassin's Creed media would depict its successor organizations opposed to a Templar conspiracy.

He is engaged in a long-term conspiracy to snatch the Crown from Elizabeth in order to settle it first on his brother-in-law, the Earl of Huntingdon, and ultimately on himself.

The Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, observes, " Thus that scientific conspiracy of nations which is one of the noblest fruits of modern civilization was by his exertions first successfully organized.

He thought he had slain his master ; he found that he had slain his protector: and he fell a helpless victim to the first conspiracy which was hatched against his throne.

A conspiracy was formed, under the inspiration of Cardinal Alberoni, the first minister of Spain.

La Rochelle was the first French city, with Rouen, to experience iconoclastic riots in 1560, at the time of the suppression of the Amboise conspiracy, before the riots spread to many other cities.

Bahram II is said to have ruled at first tyrannically, and to have greatly disgusted all his principal nobles, who went so far as to form a conspiracy against him, and intended to put him to death.

On February 4, 2003, Earl Krugel, Rubin's first lieutenant, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges stemming from the plot.

In their self-confidence, these first intellectual neopagans compromised themselves politically, at a time when Rome was full of conspiracies fomented by the Roman barons and the neighbouring princes: Paul II ( 1464 – 71 ) caused Pomponio and the leaders of the academy to be arrested on charges of irreligion, immorality, and conspiracy against the Pope.

Exactly what caused his sudden downfall is unclear: ancient historians disagree about the nature of his conspiracy, whether it was Tiberius or Sejanus who struck first, and in which order subsequent events transpired.

On March 12, 1794 the first brigade, stationed at Ostrołęka started marching towards Kraków, with A. Madaliński, a member of the conspiracy, in command.

Keyhoe was one of the first significant conspiracy theorists, asserting eventually that the saucers were from outer space and were on some sort of scouting mission.

In strict conspiracy catholic priest Sigitas Tamkevičius ( now the Archbishop Metropolitan of Kaunas ) implemented this idea and its first issue was published in the Alytus district on 19 March 1972.

When asked about his ' conspiracy ' statement, he replied: " For the first time since Charles II The Times has been guilty of a misquotation ...

The judge in the case, Julius M. Mayer, dismissed the first two counts of the indictment, alleging conspiracy, without sending them to the jury.